Greetings
Tudo bom? / Tudo joia
TOO-doo BOWNG / TOO-doo ZHOY-ah
Standard greeting and the standard reply. 'Joia' literally means jewel and is used constantly here.
Daily life
CPF
seh-peh-EFF-ee
Brazil's taxpayer number and, since 2023, its single national identification number. Obtainable from abroad and required for everything.
CRNM
seh-heh-en-EM-ee
The foreign resident card, issued by the Federal Police after registration. Your proof of legal residence.
Pix
peeks
Free instant transfer between any two Brazilian accounts. Used for rent, the surf lesson and the oyster stall.
Temporada
tem-po-RAH-dah
The summer season, roughly mid-December to Carnival. Prices double, the island fills, and annual leases disappear.
Ilha / continente
EE-lyah / kon-chee-NEN-chee
The island and the mainland. 'Vou pro continente' means crossing a bridge, and it is a real decision here.
Condomínio
kon-doh-MEE-nee-oo
The monthly building charge, quoted separately from rent and payable on top of it.
Culture
Manezinho / manezês
mah-neh-ZEE-nyoo
A native islander, and the Azorean-descended dialect they speak — fast, vowel-swallowing, and unlike anything in a Portuguese course.
Emergency
Vala
VAH-lah
A rip current. Islanders point them out by name; they are the main cause of drowning on the open Atlantic beaches.
190 / 192 / 193 / 199
Police / ambulance / fire / civil defence
Emergency numbers. 199 is Defesa Civil, which matters here for storms, flooding and landslides.
Food
Sequência de camarão
seh-KEN-see-ah dzhee ka-mah-ROWNG
The local ritual: prawns served five or six ways in succession, ordered per person and eaten for hours.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.