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40 Portuguese Words for Geography: Talking about Valleys, Hills, and Rivers


Although they are most famous for their cities, both Portugal and Brazil have some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. If you like traveling beyond the city and exploring a country by walking, trekking, biking, or simply driving through the country, you’ll probably find it helpful to know some Portuguese words for geography. As always, the best way to learn this, and to generally build up your Portuguese vocabulary, is to learn with a tutor. Our tutors are waiting to hear from you!


In this post, we’ll look at 40 Portuguese words that will help you explore the countryside.


Geography

Geografia


Land

Terra, terreno


Landscape

Paisagem


Countryside

Campo, interior


Hill

Colina, morro


Hillside

Encosta


View

Vista


Valley

Vale


Canyon

Cânion


Cliff

Penhasco [BR/EU], falésia [EU]


Coast

Costa


Desert

Deserto


Forest

Floresta


Wood

Bosque


Glacier

Geleira [BR], glaciar [EU]


Gorge

Desfiladeiro, garganta


Island

Ilha


Lake

Lago


Marsh

Pântano, brejo, sapal [EU]


Mountain

Montanha


Summit

Cume


Ridge

Cume

Note: Both “summit” and “ridge” translate as cume, so you have to pay attention to the context to know which is being described.


Field

Campo


Ocean

Oceano


Sea

Mar


Path

Caminho


Plain

Planície


Peninsula

Península


River

Rio


Stream

Riacho


Shore

Costa, costeira [EU]


Reservoir

Reservatório


Wetland

Pântano, mangue [BR]


Volcano

Vulcão


Waterfall

Cachoeira, cascata


Beach

Praia


Bush

Arbusto


Hedge

Sebe


Earth

Terra


Soil

Solo


Taking the Next Step

This vocabulary is useful, but to use the Portuguese words in this post you’ll need to learn how to put them into sentences and use them in conversations. Our tutors will coach you, at a level tailored to your individual ability, until you achieve fluency. Book your first lesson now!

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