Fabric vs. Fábrica: A Portuguese False Friend — 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 tecido for cloth or fabric
The English noun fabric means material or cloth. In Portuguese, use tecido. Portuguese fábrica means a factory or manufacturing plant—the place where products may be made. The accent mark in fábrica belongs to the Portuguese spelling and does not make it the translation of fabric.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Este tecido é leve e confortável. | This fabric is light and comfortable. |
| A fábrica produz roupas para várias lojas. | The factory makes clothes for several stores. |
| Quero comprar um tecido de algodão. | I want to buy some cotton fabric. |
Describe the material and the place separately
If you are shopping for clothes, ask about the tecido, the material. If you are talking about where an item is produced, use fábrica. Naming the object in your sentence is a quick way to prevent the similar spelling from leading you to the wrong meaning.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| A loja vende tecidos de várias cores. | The store sells fabrics in several colors. |
| Meu tio trabalha em uma fábrica de sapatos. | My uncle works at a shoe factory. |
Remember: Use tecido for fabric and fábrica for factory. Learn the two nouns with their typical settings: a material you touch and a place where goods are made.
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 fabric is light and comfortable.
Show a Portuguese answer
Este tecido é leve e confortável.
The factory makes clothes for several stores.
Show a Portuguese answer
A fábrica produz roupas para várias lojas.
I want to buy some cotton fabric.
Show a Portuguese answer
Quero comprar um tecido de algodão.
The store sells fabrics in several colors.
Show a Portuguese answer
A loja vende tecidos de várias cores.
My uncle works at a shoe factory.
Show a Portuguese answer
Meu tio trabalha em uma fábrica de sapatos.
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.
Use tecido for fabric and fábrica for factory. Learn the two nouns with their typical settings: a material you touch and a place where goods are made.
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 Fabric vs. Fábrica: A Portuguese False Friend 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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