Exquisite vs. Esquisito: Does It Mean ‘Elegant’ or ‘Strange’ — 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 esquisito for something odd or unusual
In Brazilian Portuguese, esquisito commonly means strange, odd, or unusual. It can describe a smell, taste, sound, or situation that feels unexpected. Tone matters: it may sound mildly curious or openly negative.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Esse cheiro está esquisito. Você sabe o que é? | This smell is strange. Do you know what it is? |
| Foi esquisito encontrar todo mundo na mesma rua. | It was odd to find everyone on the same street. |
Choose a Portuguese word for ‘exquisite’
For refined or elegant, try refinado or elegante. For exceptionally good food, excelente or delicioso may be more natural. Choose the adjective that expresses whether you mean quality, beauty, or taste.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O restaurante tem uma decoração refinada. | The restaurant has exquisite decor. |
| A sobremesa estava deliciosa. | The dessert was exquisite. |
Check whether you are praising or reacting to something unusual
If you want to praise a meal, design, or performance, avoid choosing esquisito only because it resembles exquisite. Ask whether your meaning is refined, excellent, delicious, or unusual, then pick the matching adjective.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| A apresentação foi excelente. | The performance was exquisite. |
| A combinação de sabores é diferente, mas não esquisita. | The flavor combination is unusual, but not strange. |
Remember: Esquisito usually means strange; exquisite is better expressed with refinado, excelente, or delicioso.
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.
This smell is strange. Do you know what it is?
Show a Portuguese answer
Esse cheiro está esquisito. Você sabe o que é?
It was odd to find everyone on the same street.
Show a Portuguese answer
Foi esquisito encontrar todo mundo na mesma rua.
The restaurant has exquisite decor.
Show a Portuguese answer
O restaurante tem uma decoração refinada.
The dessert was exquisite.
Show a Portuguese answer
A sobremesa estava deliciosa.
The performance was exquisite.
Show a Portuguese answer
A apresentação foi excelente.
The flavor combination is unusual, but not strange.
Show a Portuguese answer
A combinação de sabores é diferente, mas não esquisita.
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.
Esquisito usually means strange; exquisite is better expressed with refinado, excelente, or delicioso.
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 Exquisite vs. Esquisito: Does It Mean ‘Elegant’ or ‘Strange’? 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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