Comprimento vs. Cumprimento: Length or a Greeting — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use comprimento for a measurement
Comprimento with o refers to the length of an object, space, or period. It answers how long something is. The adjective comprido (long) shares the same root and can help you remember the vowel.
Use the unit or object after the word when the measurement needs to be clear: comprimento de dois metros, comprimento da rua, or comprimento do texto.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Qual é o comprimento da mesa? | What is the length of the table? |
| A ponte tem dois quilômetros de comprimento. | The bridge is two kilometers long. |
| O comprimento do artigo ficou adequado. | The article’s length turned out to be suitable. |
Use cumprimento for a greeting or fulfillment
Cumprimento with u can mean a greeting or the act of greeting someone: mandar um cumprimento (send regards), receber os cumprimentos (receive congratulations or greetings). It also names the act of fulfilling a duty, promise, or requirement: cumprimento do acordo.
The verb cumprir means to fulfill or carry out. That link helps distinguish cumprimento from comprimento, which measures length.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Envie meus cumprimentos à sua família. | Send my regards to your family. |
| O cumprimento do prazo depende de todos. | Meeting the deadline depends on everyone. |
| Ela cumprimentou os convidados na entrada. | She greeted the guests at the entrance. |
Remember: Comprimento is length. Cumprimento is a greeting or the fulfillment of a promise, duty, or requirement.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
What is the length of the table?
Show a Portuguese answer
Qual é o comprimento da mesa?
The bridge is two kilometers long.
Show a Portuguese answer
A ponte tem dois quilômetros de comprimento.
The article’s length turned out to be suitable.
Show a Portuguese answer
O comprimento do artigo ficou adequado.
Send my regards to your family.
Show a Portuguese answer
Envie meus cumprimentos à sua família.
Meeting the deadline depends on everyone.
Show a Portuguese answer
O cumprimento do prazo depende de todos.
She greeted the guests at the entrance.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela cumprimentou os convidados na entrada.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Comprimento is length. Cumprimento is a greeting or the fulfillment of a promise, duty, or requirement.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Comprimento vs. Cumprimento: Length or a Greeting? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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