When you step into your first capoeira class, you will undoubtedly be bombarded by many foreign words. Don’t worry though, this article is created to help you go through your first experience in Capoeira. You don’t need to be fluent in Brazilian Portuguese to play Capoeira, but it would help you to know a few basic words you may hear while training.
Numbers
| Number | Portuguese | How to Pronounce |
| One | Um | Oohm |
| Two | Dois | Doy-z |
| Three | Três | Treh-z |
| Four | Quatro | Kwah-troh |
| Five | Cinco | Seen-coh |
| Six | Seis | Say-z |
| Seven | Sete | Seh-chee |
| Eight | Oito | Oy-too |
| Nine | Nove | Noh-vee |
| Ten | Dez | Deh-z |
Body Parts
| English | Portuguese |
| Hand | Mao |
| Arm | Braco |
| Head | Cabeca |
| Elbow | Cotovelo |
| Leg | Perna |
| Foot | Pe |
| Knee | Joelho |
Pronouns
| English | Portuguese |
| I | Eu |
| You | Voçê |
| He / She | Ele / Ela |
| We | Nós |
| You (Plural) | Voçês |
| They (Masculine) | Eles |
| They (Feminine) | Elas |
Notice that there are two forms of “you” in Portuguese. “Voçê” is used when talking to one person. The plural form, “Voçês,” is used when talking to a group. We do not distinguish between the two in English. We have also listed here two forms of “they.”
The first, “eles,” is used when referring to a group that is all male or of mixed gender. The word “elas” is used when the group is exclusively female.
Questions
| English | Portuguese |
| When | Quando |
| Where | Onde |
| What | O que |
| Why | Por que |
| Who | Quem |
| How | Como |
These words are used in Portuguese very much the same way they are in English. To form a question you start the sentence off with one of these words and leave the rest of it the same.
Miscellaneous
| English | Portuguese |
| Again | De novo |
| One more time | Mais uma vez |
| Like this | Assim |
| Worse | Pior |
| Better | Melhor |
| Few / Little | Pouco |
| Many / Very | Muito |
| Left | Esquerda |
| Right | Direita |
| Backwards / to the back | Para trás |
| Forward / to the front | Para frente |
| More | Mais |
| Less | Menos |
| Fast | Rápido |
| Slow | Devagar |
Capoeira Terms
| Term | Meaning |
| Roda | Circle/wheel, this is the circle of people in which the capoeira game is played |
| Jogo | Game, jogar capoeira is to play capoeira |
| Volta Ao Mundo | Around the world, this is when capoeiristas circle the roda, usually to catch their breath or take a break in the game |
| Mestre | A master of capoeira |
| Esquiva | Dodging / evading |
| Movimento | Movement |