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July 2, 2025 |  bzouk glossary

 🇧🇷 Brazilian teacher slang you’ll hear on the dance floor

Not all Brazilian Zouk vocabulary is technical. Some phrases come straight from Brazilian culture and party life. You’ll often hear these expressions shouted during socials, Jack & Jills, or in class!

This article is part of our BZouk glossary series: your go-to guide for learning Brazilian Zouk vocabulary, portuguese dance terms, and Zouk slang that you’ll hear in socials, classes, and festivals worldwide.

🎧 Common Brazilian Zouk expressions you’ll hear

 🗣️ Joga o som da batida, DJ!
“Drop the beat, DJ!” – often yelled right before a battle, demo, or Jack & Jill.

🗣️ Mano
“Bro” or “dude” – used casually to refer to a friend or student.

🗣️ Oi!
“Hey!” – a very Brazilian and informal way to say hi.

🗣️ Carai!
Slang for “Damn!” – said when something is impressive or crazy.

🗣️ Foda
Means “hard” or “amazing” depending on the context. “Isso foi foda!” = “That was badass!”

🗣️ Vamos lá!
“Let’s go!” – a common hype phrase in class or before a round.

🗣️ De novo!
“Again!” – teachers say it every time they want you to repeat the move.

🗣️ Bora!

Short for “Vamos embora!” which means “Let’s go!” or “Come on!” Often shouted to get people moving or excited before dancing.

Perfect, now you're ready to explore the world while dancing!

 🎧 Wait, what is "-inho" or "-inha"?

 In Portuguese, adding -inho / -inha to a word makes it a diminutive, often implying something is small, light, cute, or soft.

gostoso = tasty, sexy   ➡️   gostosinho = soft, smooth, yummier vibe
virada = turn   ➡️  viradinha = little turn
solto = loose   ➡️   soltinho = even looser


In BZouk, these suffixes aren't just grammar: they express feel and texture in the movement.

 📖 Want to go deeper?

If you love the words, the vibe, and the Brazilian soul behind Zouk, check out this book:

👉 Portuguese for Zouk Dancers

It goes even further into expressions, pronunciation, and real social usage.

 📲 Join the global Zouk community

 The more you understand the language, the more connected you are to the movement, the music, and the community.

DUO helps you connect with Brazilian Zouk dancers around the world! 

🔍 Discover local scenes, teachers, and events.
🗓️ Join the community from anywhere.
👉 Join the waitlist for the app.

🌍 Find Brazilian Zouk communities anywhere in the world, in seconds

Planning your next dance trip?

Wondering if there’s a BZouk scene in your next destination?


👉 DUO lets you instantly see where to dance, who to contact, and how to join any BZouk community.


No more hours wasted digging through old Facebook groups.

With DUO, it’s all in one place: events, teachers, dancers, chats.

Wherever you go, the community is already waiting.

 

👉  Join the waitlist now and unlock the global BZouk map!

 

 📩 contact@theduoapp.com

Made with passion for dancers around the world  💛

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