red card

[/rɛd kɑːrd/]
nounpl: red cards
cartão vermelho
1. A card shown by a referee in sports (especially football/soccer) to indicate that a player has been sent off and must leave the field immediately
The defender received a red card for a dangerous foul.
O defensor recebeu um cartão vermelho por uma falta perigosa.
2. Figuratively, a warning or signal that something is unacceptable or must stop
That behavior is a red card for any serious relationship.
Esse comportamento é um cartão vermelho para qualquer relacionamento sério.
In Brazilian and international football culture, the red card is a highly significant symbol of disciplinary action. It's deeply embedded in sports vocabulary and has become a common metaphor in everyday Portuguese for unacceptable behavior or grounds for immediate dismissal. The term is universally understood across Portuguese-speaking countries and is used identically in both Brazil and Portugal.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
expulsionsending offdismissal
Antonyms / Antônimos
yellow cardgreen card

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
cartão vermelho
standard term used in football broadcasts and everyday sports conversation
Rio de Janeiro
cartão vermelho
same as general Brazilian usage; no significant regional variation
São Paulo
cartão vermelho
same as general Brazilian usage; no significant regional variation
Portugal
cartão vermelho
identical usage in Portuguese football; sometimes shortened to 'vermelho'

Related Words

yellow cardrefereefoulpenaltysuspension

Related Idioms & Phrases

give someone a red card
show the red card
that's a red card
red card offense
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