🧭 Japanese Directions & Regions Vocabulary Pontos cardeais e regiões
10 essential Brazilian Portuguese words for the Directions & Regions scene, each with IPA, English meaning, CEFR level and native speaker audio, plus example sentences. Tap 🔊 to listen.
- norte /ˈnɔʁtʃi/ A2north · open [ɔ]; -te=[tʃi] · also: perder o norte = to lose one's bearingsO norte do país é coberto pela Floresta Amazônica.The north of the country is covered by the Amazon Rainforest.
- sul /ˈsuw/ A2south · final l=[w]: sul=[suw]No sul do Brasil faz frio de verdade no inverno.In the south of Brazil it gets really cold in winter.
- leste /ˈlɛstʃi/ A2east · open [ɛ]; -te=[tʃi]A parte leste de São Paulo é a mais populosa da cidade.The east side of São Paulo is the most populous part of the city.
- oeste /oˈɛstʃi/ A2west · open stressed [ɛ], initial o closed [o]; -te=[tʃi]A fronteira oeste do Brasil encosta na Bolívia e no Peru.Brazil's western border touches Bolivia and Peru.
- nordeste /noʁˈdɛstʃi/ B1northeast (Brazil's Nordeste region) · open [ɛ]; -te=[tʃi]Meu sonho é conhecer o nordeste, principalmente as praias da Bahia.My dream is to visit the northeast, especially the beaches of Bahia.
- sudeste /suˈdɛstʃi/ B1southeast (Brazil's Sudeste region: SP/RJ) · open [ɛ]; -te=[tʃi]A maior parte da economia se concentra no sudeste, entre São Paulo e Rio.Most of the economy is concentrated in the southeast, between São Paulo and Rio.
- interior /ĩteɾiˈoʁ/ B1inland, countryside (BR: cidade do interior = small town outside the capital) · nasal [ĩ]; final r=[ʁ] · also: inside, interiorMinha avó mora numa cidade do interior de Minas Gerais.My grandmother lives in a small town in the interior of Minas Gerais.
- litoral /litoˈɾaw/ B1coast, coastline (litoral paulista) · final l=[w]: [litoˈɾaw]No feriado, o litoral paulista fica lotado de turistas.On holidays, the São Paulo coast gets packed with tourists.
- zona /ˈzõnɐ/ A2zone, area, district (zona sul in Rio/SP) · nasal [õ] before n · also: (colloq.) messA escola fica numa zona residencial bem tranquila.The school is in a very quiet residential area.
- bairro /ˈbajʁu/ A2neighborhood, district · rr=[ʁ]; watch the spelling -irr-Ela procura um apartamento num bairro perto do metrô.She's looking for an apartment in a neighborhood near the subway.
FAQ
How many Brazilian Portuguese directions & regions words are in this list?
10 words, including A2: 6, B1: 4. Every word has playable native audio and example sentences.
Are these words CEFR-graded?
Yes — every word carries its CEFR level (A1–C2), so you can start with the level you need.
What is the best way to memorise them?
Scene groups plus spaced repetition: listen, repeat, learn the word inside its example sentence, then review the next day. Bossa has SRS and four quiz types built in.