Social
Visse?
VEE-see
The recifense tag question — 'you see?', 'right?' — appended to the end of half the sentences you will hear. Nothing marks you as local faster than using it correctly.
Arretado
ah-heh-TAH-doo
Excellent, or furious, depending entirely on tone. 'Arretado de bom' is unambiguous praise. A Pernambuco word you will not hear in the south.
Oxe / Oxente
OH-sheh / oh-SHEN-chee
The Northeastern exclamation of surprise or mild indignation. Shorter here than in Bahia and used constantly.
Massa
MAH-sah
Cool, great. Literally 'dough'. Universal in Recife among every age group and a safe first slang word to try.
Daily life
CPF
seh-peh-EFF-ee
Brazil's taxpayer number and, since 2023, its single national identification number. Obtainable from abroad, required for everything.
CRNM
seh-heh-en-EM-ee
The foreign resident card issued by the Federal Police after you register. Your proof of legal residence in Brazil.
Pix
peeks
Free instant transfer between Brazilian accounts, used for rent, the beach vendor and the plumber alike.
Bota-fora / Maré alta
MAH-reh AWL-tah
High tide. In a city at sea level with rivers running through it, the tide table is genuinely part of the traffic forecast during the wet season.
Culture
Frevo
FREH-voo
Recife's own carnival music and dance — fast, brass-driven, danced with a small coloured umbrella. Inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2012.
Galo da Madrugada
GAH-loo dah mah-droo-GAH-dah
The carnival Saturday bloco that fills the centre of Recife and is recognised as the largest in the world by attendance. It starts at dawn and the city plans around it.
Mangue
MAHN-gee
Mangrove. It is the ground Recife is built on, the reason the city floods, and the name of the manguebeat movement Chico Science built in the 1990s.
Emergency
190 / 192 / 193
Police / ambulance / fire
Brazil's emergency numbers, free from any phone anywhere in the country.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.