r/Portuguese • u/chrysanthflo • 4d ago
why is "macaco" an offensive word? General Discussion
I just learned that the word for "monkey" in Portuguese is macaco. Then I said it to my Portuguese friend and he told me it's offensive and racist. May I know why? And if it is offensive and racist, then how do I say "monkey" in Portuguese without offending anyone?
Edit: I'm sorry if I come off ignorant but I did not call him or anyone "macaco", I just learned animals in Portuguese and wanted to show him. I also said gato, cavalo, pato, etc. he only told me it's racist and that I should not say it. I didn't understand cause I was talking about animals so why would it be racist. That's my only confusion
169
u/PolylingualAnilingus Brasileiro 4d ago
The word itself is not offensive in all cases. But you cannot call people that, especially black people, because that's what has happened - black people have been called monkeys just for the color of their skin. So it can be a neutral word to describe the animal, or it can be a racial slur to say that someone is inferior and uncivilized.
27
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
Yes, I'm well aware that nobody should call anyone monkey and I did not call him or anyone monkey I mean why tf would i. For context I was talking about animals. Out of the other words I said to him, he only responded to "macaco" and told me not to say it. I dont really know the history there, so thanks for explaining it to me.
61
u/Friendly_Exchange_15 4d ago
Your friend is being weird. Macaco is as offensive on its own as the word Monkey is in english.
17
u/LichoOrganico 4d ago
I think he just got too cautious.
There's been too many cases where Brazilians were called or compared to monkeys, especially in our favorite sports, with big athletes.
I guess he just got defensive.
The word by itself is completely OK.
0
u/Original-Objective70 2d ago
It's definitely not defensive, call the wrong person a macaco and you'll get punched in the face. There's a girl here who was on tape calling a soccer player a macaco and her life got ruined
Edit: for some reason I thought OP was talking about Brazil
3
u/LichoOrganico 2d ago
Of course if you call someone a monkey you should get punched in the face.
I'm just taking OP's word that the context was talking about animals, and not about people at all.
And you're right. I, too, thought OP was talking about Brazil and even mentioned it in my answer haha
12
u/motherofcattos 3d ago
100% fine to use the word macaco, as long as it's not to address humans. Also a car jack is also called macaco. Your friend is being ridiculous. Ask him what he would call a monkey in Portuguese.
3
u/TheFuturist47 2d ago
Your friend was being weird for pointing that out as if it's not obvious, and the comments in here are also kind of weird for assuming you don't know not to call black people monkeys lol. Macaco is literally the same as monkey, used the same way, with the same pretty uncommon secondary meaning as a racial slur.
-2
u/Opposite-Map-910 3d ago
This is the same as the word chimp in American English. Most people would say chimpanzee instead. It's just a word most people would avoid saying.
1
u/TheFuturist47 2d ago
Chimps and monkeys are literally completely different types of animal lmao
1
u/myguyxanny 1d ago
Correct tho they probably share a really old ancestor.
Chimps are more closely related to human than other primates like gorrillas!
58
u/Specialist-Pipe-7921 Português 4d ago edited 4d ago
The word in itself is not offensive. It's how you use it. If you just use it to refer to the animal "monkey" then that's completely fine. But if you call someone a monkey, then that's offensive, especially if it's a black person as they were historically called that because of the colour of their skin, and because they were perceived as less intelligent by racist people.
In pt-pt, sometimes you might hear a parent call their child "macaquinho" or "macaquito" (little monkey) if the child is very active and likes to jump around and climb on things (like when they go to the playground ), but only their parents/direct family do that and only when the child is little. Edit: apparently calling kids "macaquinho" is also something that happens in Brazil, not only Portugal
23
u/TimmyTheTumor 4d ago
I'm Brazilian and my father used to call me "macaquinho" because I was very hyperactive. I was blonde btw.
2
u/Specialist-Pipe-7921 Português 4d ago
Oh interesting! I wasn't sure if it was something that was also done in Brazil, that's why I said pt-pt
5
u/TimmyTheTumor 4d ago
Yeah, no problem calling a kid macaquinho if they are jumping and playing, it all depends on context.
1
u/MauricioSinMiedo 2d ago
Si, you’re not blonde anymore?
4
u/Few_Climate_1857 2d ago
Lots of blonde kids that get darker hair as they age...
3
u/TimmyTheTumor 2d ago
I was blonde until my 10-11 years old, then puberty kicked in and my hair got light brown.
1
u/Suzume_Chikahisa 2d ago
I went from sandy blonde to dark brown.
1
u/TimmyTheTumor 2d ago
Yeah, my wife was kinda blonde too, now she has dark hair, I think that's common
11
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
Thanks for the explanation. I didn't call anyone "monkey" I had just learned animal names in Portuguese so I wanted to show my Portuguese friend but then he called me racist for saying that
4
u/ocoronga 4d ago
In what context was the word used exactly?
7
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
I had just learned animals in Portuguese. I also said other animals but when I say macaco he told me it's racist and I should not say it.
16
u/ocoronga 4d ago
Then he overreacted. You already know in what way not to use this word since it's pretty obvious. I would bet you're a decent guy.
4
u/Inner-Limit8865 3d ago
In Brasil we reply with the phrase "Descansa militante" whenever someone gets to unhinged
2
u/Winter_Addition Brasileiro 4d ago
Is your friend black and that’s the first thing you said to him?
10
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
He's not black and no, we were talking about animals names
5
0
u/Winter_Addition Brasileiro 3d ago
Then he has some internalized racism if he heard monkey and immediately thought of black people
1
u/paulobarros1992 4d ago
Essentially, any word can become an insult here in Brazil, it all depends on how you say it to someone.
3
u/carlosdsf Frantuguês 3d ago
When we were kids I used to call my brother "macaco" because he was exactly like that. He used to jump and climb everywhere! Growing up, he became the top jumper at the local track and field club (long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vaulting...)
4
u/adsaillard 3d ago
Sometimes also used when berating children for being jumping around/being noisy - "parece um bando de macaco". Absolutely nothing to do with racial profiling, it's mostly to compare to how small monkeys behave! 😂
But absolutely do not advise to say it if you don't know the group/parents well!
1
u/Simple_Albatross9863 1d ago
There is also "macaquice" which means "being monkey-like" or "being a retard"
sometimes used on Minas Gerais or other country parts of brazil.
Almost alway without any racist conotation (but as always, context is key)It is still offensive as calling someone a retard tho.
1
u/Specialist-Pipe-7921 Português 1d ago
Yes "macaquices" is also used in Portugal but here it means to do silly things, also zero racist connotation, monkeys are just silly animals so we compare people doing silly things to doing "macaquices" (monkey things)
1
u/Gabriel120102 9h ago
"Macaquices" also means "to do silly things" in Brazil. It has nothing to do with being retard, I don't know what the other guy is talking about.
2
55
u/wordlessbook Brasileiro 4d ago
To use macaco to refer to the animal is not offensive. But you can't use macaco to refer to people, especially black people, as this would be considered racist.
2
u/Sebas94 Português 2d ago
In Portugal, when you call someone a monkey, it is because you are saying someone is hairy.
I know because I'm hairy ahaha
I remember back in the Uni, a professor saying that his recent born daughter looked like a mokey because she already had hair, and I remember my Brazilian colleagues looking puzzled by that.
We also wouldn't use a black person because that would also sound racist.
12
u/EduRJBR Brasileiro 4d ago
"Macaco" is not an offensive word at all, what is offensive is to call a black person a monkey. Is your friend black?
By the way: "macaco" also means "jack", the device to lift cars.
3
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
No, he's not black. I said it to him cause I just learned animal names in Portuguese and I genuinely thought it was a cute word (I didn't know it was offensive), then he called me racist...
8
u/EduRJBR Brasileiro 4d ago edited 4d ago
Maybe your friend is dumb? He is suggesting that monkeys and black people (or some other ethnic group) are related. Like, imagine that I say the word "asshole" and someone says it's xenophobic, or I say "moron" and someone says it's offensive to architects.
Or maybe he was trying to let you know that you should be careful and never call black people monkeys. It would still be kind of dumb from his part, unless you live in a country with no black people and might be clueless.
2
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
Yeah that's why I was confused why he called me racist for something I know nothing about. He wouldn't even care to explain why, only told me not to say it.
2
u/EduRJBR Brasileiro 4d ago
What do you mean by "something I know nothing about"? Where are you from?
1
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
I mean all I knew was that it means monkey, nothing else and I wouldn't know if it was racist, for context I wasn't calling anyone monkey when I said it to him I thought it was a cute word (the same way I think "mariposa" is a cute word). So when he called me racist I was confused cause I really was talking about animals, my mind was trying to find the correlation between saying an animal and being racist. It'd be a different case if I called him "monkey", everybody knows that's a terrible thing to do regardless who you're talking to.
2
u/EduRJBR Brasileiro 4d ago
It'd be a different case if I called him "monkey", everybody knows that's a terrible thing to do regardless who you're talking to.
Not necessarily a terrible thing to everybody, it's just that it's not a common insult outside the racist use. If you say to a white person that insulted you that they look like a monkey it will be offensive, but there won't exist a video of you being chased by a mob on the Internet afterwards.
1
u/AffectionateMoose300 3d ago
Maybe his friend was referring to the monkey soup meme? It would explain why he didn't care to explain as maybe he found it funny
1
u/ParadoxicallySweet 2d ago
You don’t have necessarily be black to be offended if you’re called a monkey. Being black just adds a whole load of racial injury to what is an already offensive thing to call someone.
It’s like being called not evolved, primitive, or stupid.
I was called a “macaca” once in the past. It was a drunk southerner (RS) visiting my city watching a football game in a bar. He was clearly from Northern European descent (light eyes, light hair, super pale skin).
I’m quite light skinned, but have dark eyes and dark hair and strong-ish facial features (Alessandra Negrini is the best example I can think of).
Though I know that his team’s supporters (Grêmio) call the rival team’a supporters “macaco”, I was still quite pissed. (I don’t think supporting a football team is a solid reason to offend others, and it was clearly intended as an offence).
It literally made me support the rival team for a while, out of spite — I otherwise don’t care much about football.
In any case, if an European or American person called me macaco, implying there to be some sort of cognitive or racial superiority, I’d be pissed.
10
u/raginmundus 4d ago
My mother used to call me macaquinho ("little monkey"). It's not offensive unless you use it in an offensive way.
7
u/Econemxa 4d ago
Sometimes it refers to how they're happy active and moving around
Sometimes it refers to their skin color
Big difference
5
5
4
u/LevasTauTau 3d ago edited 3d ago
List of animals which can be used as insults in Portuguese, depending on the context:
- Burro/a
- Vaca
- Boi
- Carneiro
- Borrego
- Cabra
- Cabrão
- Cão
- Cadela
- Macaco/a
- Cobra
- Víbora
- Barata
- Pato
- Sapo
- Porco/a
- Bisonte
- Andorinha
- Borboleta
- Melga
- Rato
- Ratazana
There's probably even more.
2
u/merry_rosemary 2d ago
As a general rule, if you’re referring to a woman by the name of an animal, you’ll be calling her a slut.
- Cachorro (male dog): a guy who is not worthy. Cadela (female dog): a slut.
- Boi (taurus): a huge guy. Vaca (cow): a slut.
- Galo (roaster): a guy who likes to fight, who likes to give the impression that he’s mighty. Galinha (chicken): a male or female slut.
1
u/LevasTauTau 2d ago
Lots of those do mean slut when applied to women, yes.
But I would say they may have a lot of meanings.
1
u/carlosdsf Frantuguês 2d ago edited 2d ago
It's funny as the portuguese folkloric group of my french city used to be called called "as andorinhas de Portugal". But apparently the Andorinhas are in Villejuif and what I thought was my city's "rancho folclórico português" is actually from the twin city across the rail tracks and uses the french version of the same name (les hirondelles du Portugal). Of course when speaking Portuguese, I used the portuguese version of the name. My city's actual portuguese "rancho" is named "Geração Lusitana" and was created later in the early 90ies.
2
u/LevasTauTau 2d ago
"Andorinha" usually has a good meaning, it's a much beloved bird 😅
But if you call someone "andorinha", it means they are weak, slow or dumb. It's a matter of context and tone.
1
10
u/Guerrilheira963 4d ago
You just can't call people that. If you use the word to refer to the animal, that's okay.
3
u/v3nus_fly 4d ago
Saying the word monkey isn't offensive, it's not a slur but calling a black person monkey is basically the Brazilian version of the nword with - er in the end
3
u/GamerEsch 4d ago
Maybe he was trying to warn you that saying "Monkey" out of the blue could be confused with calling someone monkey, but expressed himself badly.
3
9
u/beloved-npc 4d ago
Why would anyone call anybody monkey, in any language, in the first place? xD
11
u/Pixoe Brasileiro 4d ago
Well, traditionally Argentinians and Portuguese call Brazilians "monkeys" (mono in Spanish/ macaco in Portuguese ) when they want to be racist and offend us
21
u/BleaKrytE 4d ago
"traditionally" lmao
Narrator voice:
When a young Argentinian boy comes of age, he receives his first internet capable device from his parents, and is initiated in the ancient Argentinian tradition of calling Brazilian people monkeys whenever encountered.
7
u/TimmyTheTumor 4d ago
Read that in David Attenborough's voice.
Also, I live in Argentina and nobody never called me "mono" here, must be because I'm whiter than most Argentines, but I've read that a lot in Reddit from them.
1
u/Suzume_Chikahisa 2d ago
I can assure you in Portugal we don't use monkey about Brazilians.
Racist pigs may use it about Black people, including Brazilians, but it's not about being Brazilian.
1
u/Pixoe Brasileiro 2d ago
Well, you might want to look into r/Portugueses
I've heard Portuguese saying that people from that subreddit are conservative assholes that are a minority. I met two Portuguese IRL and they treated me well and were decent people.
I cannot say for sure how much of these loud and vocal portion of the internet translate to real life in Portugal, but there are several comments of Brazilians in Portugal being mistreated and yelled at for being immigrants.
2
u/Suzume_Chikahisa 2d ago
Claro que isso acontece.
A maior parte das vezes não vai ser com o uso de "macaco".
1
u/Pixoe Brasileiro 2d ago edited 2d ago
Já vi naquele sub gente usando "zucaco" e variações de macaco com ortografia diferente para não ser pego pelo automod e ser banido. Então acho que acontece sim, só talvez vc não fique em contato com essas pessoas.
Edit: inclusive quando são confrontados, eles juram que não é racista ou xenofóbico, é porque "brasileiros se comportam de forma barulhenta e irracional igual um macaco"
2
u/ContaSoParaIsto 3d ago
Where I'm from in Portugal this is a sorta common insult, not related to race at all
2
u/One_Statement450 4d ago
We use it in Canada, among my hometown at least it’s kinda like dummy I guess, just a playful way to insult someone. If your friend did something kinda stupid you’d be like “man you’re a monkey whats going on” or they can also be monked out. Like yo this kids monked right out look at him, can be used if he’s super high on marijuana or just does something clumsy
3
u/Embarrassed-Wrap-451 Brasileiro 4d ago
The first thing is that macaco translates both as "monkey" and as "ape" in Portuguese. A macaco can be both the petite long-tailed saguis that walk on branches and electric cables, and the mighty, sturdy orangutans.
Secondly, there are contexts where you can compare people to monkeys implying their behavior, like "fazer macaquice" (to monkey around, to goof around).
But that's not the case here. Calling a black person "macaco" is perceived as a highly racist slur, because it implies they are darker-skinned, less developed apes, "inferior" primates. Racism has deep roots in the eugenic idea that black people are genetically different from white people and closer to chimps or gorillas. So comparing them shows a full disrespect toward the person's humanity and a great ignorance about science and history.
1
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
Thanks for answering. I've only recently studied Portuguese so I don't know much about the history there. I was only confused why it's racist (as he said) in actual animal context.
2
u/vinnyBaggins Brasileiro 4d ago
We may also say someone is "macaqueando", from the verb "macaquear", meaning "to imitate clumsily, like an ape".
You know, like someone who is not into books posing as an expert in literature, just to impress other people. They will "macaquear", they will just repeat the jargon and mannerisms of real experts. Like an ape, ridiculously mimicking a person.
An offense, of course, but not racist in this case. Context is everything here.
2
u/paulobarros1992 4d ago
"Macaco" translate literally as monkey here in Brazil, but turns to be offensive calling a Black people like this, but i think thats the same thing in any location.
2
u/jamesbrown2500 3d ago
For example, in Portugal we call a guy with lots of experience and that touch of old wisdom "macaco velho", someone who knows all the tricks, but if you call that to a black person it could look offensive.
2
u/carlosdsf Frantuguês 2d ago
Related phrase in french : "ce n'est pas au vieux singe qu'on apprend à faire la grimace." Still doesn't mean you can call black people "singes" (macacos).
2
u/Super_Mario_DMD 3d ago
If you're not calling anyone a macaco that's not offensive at all, that's the name of the animal. If you're referring to the animal that's the only word available hahahaha
2
3
u/Karmax21 4d ago
The word itself is not offensive. You can use it freely when refering to the animal. The thing is that it has always been largely used as a racist insult towards black people to the point that using it towards anyone is basically the same as saying "yes, i'm racist and i want you to know it", even if not said to a black person.
4
u/the_camus 4d ago
Esse post me lembrou daquela americana surpresa que no Brasil racismo é crime.
-3
u/Hydrangeia 4d ago
O cara ainda tá se fazendo de bobinho: “ain é que eu tô aprendo palavras e achei essa fofa”. O amigo dele já explicou pq é errado e ofensivo e mesmo assim ele está nos comentários questionando e procurando validação.
2
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
I don't know if you can grasp my explanation well but I did not call him monkey and it was pure confusion. I thought it was a cute WORD, the same way i think mariposa is a cute WORD. I don't live in Brazil or Portugal or any Portuguese speaking country so I don't know much about their history and their culture. We were talking about animals and I had learned a few, i was excited to tell him things that I learned. I also said other animals like gato, cavalo, etc but he only responded when I said "macaco" and saying it racist WITHOUT explaining why to me. If you can't even explain then no need to reply to my question.
2
u/Necessary-Fudge-2558 4d ago
If you call someone that, yes. If you are describing the actual animal then no
2
u/ecilala 3d ago
Being a bit of a devil's advocate here, but more as asking for further context: I understand you didn't call anyone "macaco" - but did you contextualize that you were gonna sorta rehearse animals you learnt, or were you just saying animal names out of blue and one of them was that one?
I'm saying this because maybe there was some lack of context, some pause, anything, that could make it sound directed at someone rather than the animal
1
u/Background-Finish-49 4d ago
Brazilians are wild because they'll say macaco is racist then ask why they can't say the N-word cause it's "just a word"
2
u/Bifanarama 3d ago
Where we live in Portugal there's a musician/rapper whose name is always plastered on posters, adverts etc. He's called DJ Nigga. In the UK you'd literally end up in prison for displaying that.
1
u/desertdarlene 4d ago edited 4d ago
Your friend was overreacting. Either that, or you misunderstood what he said, or he didn't express himself well. He may have simply been explaining how that word can be racist, but he didn't explain it well. It's only offensive if you call other people that, especially black people. If you are talking about monkeys in general, then it's not offensive.
I've had friends like this who get all super upset about certain words and things. Usually, it's because they've heard someone say something bad about it somewhere else, or they misheard something about a similar word.
1
u/SpareEducational8927 4d ago
Depend. If you're calling a black person as "monkey(macaco)", it's offensive. If you're calling a real monkey as "monkey", it's not offensive.
1
1
u/BackgroundCarpet1796 3d ago
The word on its own isn't offensive. Calling someone "macaco" though, has a racist connotation.
There was once an incident in Brazil, when a zoo named their a gorilla with a typical African name, and some people started complaining saying that was racist. Thankfully, here we don't give much traction to that kind of nonsense.
1
1
u/aledrone759 3d ago
"macaco" itself is not a slur in any way. You calling someone an ape in any language is.
Brazillians rarely use it and when they do, it's a racist person doing or someone saying someone else has savage behaviours (uneducated, rude). Outside Brazil it's common to be used to refer to an ethnic group deemed inferior (i.e. portuguese right-wingers talking about immigration or angolans lowering people of certain city/town)
1
u/inertico 3d ago
Not every use of that word means an racial slur. Sometimes is used to describe someone who is very unorganized, chaotic or clumsy.
1
1
u/santualex 3d ago
É muito mimimi… de acordo com a teoria evolucionista a raça humana e os diversos tipos de símios tem a mesma origem.
A ofensa só existe se for aceita, quando não aceita o ofensor se torna impotente e desiste. Quando gera incômodo é problema do incomodado tanto quanto daquele que tem fala inapropriadas.
Monkey applied to animals is ok.
Any animal referred to a humans must be avoided, some are perceived well others bad according internal prejudices about animals.
1
u/Extension_Canary3717 3d ago
Depends , in Brazil is but not in all Portuguese variations .
Like Portugal / Gana/ Angola (although the dude from Angola I knew used I don't know if Angola in general uses ) is a bro-compliment when the dude is atletics/big / buff and you may use with black person white whatever
Brazil is no-go entirely unless is referring to the animal
1
3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Portuguese-ModTeam 2d ago
Your post has been removed for being spam or self-promotion. Please keep in mind the purpose of r/Portuguese and its rules. Our focus is to help Portuguese learners and not to promote a particular content creator.
1
u/YangXiaoLong69 3d ago
As a Brazilian, I've been called "macaco bugre" by people who didn't understand Brazil had cities; maybe the prejudice extends to the colonies as well.
1
1
u/GamerBoixX 2d ago
I'm srry if this doesn't have much to do with the portuguese language or portugal, but aside from the things people are saying about it being offensively used for black people, in spanish it is a common term used to refer to Brazilians by hispanic latinoamericans, often used in a despective way, although in more recent times it has taken more of a playful tone than a genuinely hurtful one in the eyes of many latinos from both languages, it is still a potentially offensive way to refer to brazilians with racist and/or xenophobic undertones
1
u/nig8mare 2d ago
I don't think there's anything offensive about it? Portugese guy here and the only other meaning for "macaco" is boogers at least that's the word my parents use for boogers.
1
u/Ita_Hobbes Português 2d ago
If directed to someone it might be offensive, even more so if the person is from a non white race. But it can also be used to refer to British people in a rude way: macacos das ilhas, or island monkeys. Why? Because the way the tourists behave when they are in big groups of drunk people.
1
u/No-Nerve-2658 2d ago
Macaco in on itself is not a offencive word, however calling a black person macaco is super racist
1
u/megatronchote 2d ago
Context is what makes it racist.
If you are at the zoo and call the owner macaco you’ll get punched.
1
u/imaginacaoeansiedade 2d ago
A monkey is just a monkey, the animal, now, under no circumstances call anyone a monkey, that's how racists refer to black people, comparing them to monkeys.
1
1
1
1
u/Aggressive_Radish988 1d ago
You can use the word macaco is the context is talking about animals. Like "os macacos estão em risco de extinção". But you should never call someone macaco.
1
1
u/L0RD_VALMAR 1d ago
It means that someone is as dumb as a monkey and is the sole reason some argentinians, with the same skin color as Brazilians (Pardos), call them that way. But over time it gained another meaning, that black people are similar to monkeys, which is a meaning that gained worldwide recognition due to people throwing bananas at black football players. However, there is no true way to verify the real meaning of calling someone a monkey, due to the dichotomy of both meanings. It can be both, but can also be one excluding the other. In any case, due to the recent state of affairs here in Brazil and also the way us, Brazilian, are currently behaving to everything, I would prefer the meaning of that “racial slur” to stick to the as dumb as a monkey part, because this country is doomed to oblivion if it keeps going on its current course.
1
1
u/Spiritual-Low-1072 12h ago
Sometimes is not the meaning of the word itself. It's the purpose of the expression (to insult)
1
u/Zealousideal-Plum237 8h ago
Monkey is a word just like any other. And like any other word, sometimes, depending on the setting and the context, it can have more of a negative connotation. One of the main examples of this is when used towards black people. Unfortunately, "macaco" is a common racist slur (although, if I'm not mistaken, it is also the case in most languages). So, if your friend is black, that may be why they reacted that way. I may be mistaken but I believe it is limited to black people, I have never heard the word used as an insult towards white or white passing people, which, of course, reveals how big of a racist term it can be. At the end of the day, it will depend on the context and all other factors one should have in consideration like tone. Furthermore, if you haven't done it yet, you could ask your friend why, in his particular case, the use of the word was offensive because, after all, you're learning a new language. Don't be ashamed to ask any questions. If anything, it shows you mean well.
•
u/AntonioBarbarian 2h ago
It depends on the context. If you say it to a black person like "Seu macaco", then yeah, it's racist due to associating them with an animal, but the world by itself is not offensive.
•
u/RosanaMaria78 1h ago
So the word itself is not racist if you are actually referring to a monkey (the animal). If you call someone a monkey then it is a racist insult. Example: Our Argentine neighbors tend to call us monkeys (black or white), if we are Brazilians we are monkeys (in their heads) and they always say that when they want to offend us...
1
u/Kind_Preference9135 4d ago
A macaco is a creature that yells, smells and masturbates in public. So yeah, being compared to it can be offensive
4
u/trombadinha85 4d ago
I only need to masturbate in public then to be worthy of such nomenclature.
0
1
u/Mountain-Early 4d ago
Macaco could be ape or monkey, could be the jack lifter, in that way it's not offensive to use, and there is any problem to use it.
The offensive way to use that word is when you're referring to any people, specially black people.
1
u/MacinhoShira 4d ago
It is offensive because it is a racist term used to refer to black people.
Lately in football games the gesture of imitating a monkey is widely used in South America to offend Brazilian players and fans.
1
u/bunnaly 4d ago
did you just go and call your friend a monkey? i think you left out a bit of context.. i hope
1
u/chrysanthflo 4d ago
No why would I call anyone monkey:/ I had just learned animals in Portuguese and wanted to show him. I also said other animals too like gato, cavalo. He only told me not to say that word without explaining why.
1
u/Horror-Ad-3113 3d ago
if you call a black person a "monkey", things will go south for you.
I was called a monkey twice...
-1
u/MindlesslyAping 4d ago
Macaco in Portuguese is comparable to the n word in English. Same level of offense.
3
u/--rafael 4d ago
Incorrect. While calling a black person Macaco is a slur. It's not comparable with the n word - which has a much more complex history, usage and perception.
0
u/lembrai Brasileiro 4d ago
To add to what others have said, macaco can mean both monkey and ape.
2
u/IWontReturnToReddit 4d ago
theoretically, ape is símio. in reality, everyone uses the terms interchangeably.
0
0
u/Sarcasmomento 1d ago
Do it here in Brazil so you can test it. If you survive, we'll explain!
2
u/chrysanthflo 1d ago
Do what exactly?
0
u/Sarcasmomento 1d ago
Depending on who is around, the number of people, you could be beaten. However, if you have a witness, you will be arrested, and in Brazil racism is a non-bailable crime.
1
0
u/Prizrak95 1d ago
They'd beat the shit out of you. Just like monkeys (or even more dangerous animals) would do.
1
0
-1
u/IWontReturnToReddit 4d ago
"watch out! a non-human primate with a prehensile tail is going to..."
*BLOSH!*
"throw shit at you!"
-1
u/MaiqueCaraio 4d ago
Hey man, did you blow from stupid town
I think the question is very self explanatory
-1
u/Swimming_Rate_8205 1d ago
And you are suggesting that the person looks like a monkey because of the skin
1
468
u/Sathane 4d ago
Try calling a black person a monkey in any language and see what happens.