chicken

[/ˈtʃɪkən/]
nounpl: chickens
frango
1. a domestic fowl kept for eggs or meat
The farmer raised chickens in the barn.
O fazendeiro criava frangas no celeiro.
2. the meat of a chicken used as food
I'm cooking chicken for dinner tonight.
Estou cozinhando frango para o jantar esta noite.
3. a cowardly or timid person
Don't be a chicken; just try it!
Não seja um medroso; apenas tente!
In Brazilian culture, 'frango' is a staple protein and appears frequently in traditional dishes like 'frango com quiabo' and 'frango à parmegiana'. The term 'ser frango' (to be chicken) is used colloquially to describe someone cowardly. In American culture, chicken is equally important culinarily and the idiom 'chicken out' is very common in everyday speech.
NYC Slang
chicken (coward) - used colloquially to insult someone's bravery
Synonyms / Sinônimos
fowlbirdpoultrycoward
Antonyms / Antônimos
brave personcourageous person

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
frango
standard term for the animal and meat
Rio de Janeiro
frango
same as general Brazilian Portuguese
São Paulo
frango
same as general Brazilian Portuguese
Portugal
frango
same translation, though 'galinha' is used more broadly for any hen

Related Words

roosterhenchickpoultrycoop

Related Idioms & Phrases

chicken and egg problem
counting your chickens before they hatch
chicken out
play chicken
no guts, no glory (opposite of being a chicken)
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →