Portuguese at a Brazilian Hair Salon: Describe the Cut You Want — Practice

Book the service and ask about availability

Start with the service you want: cortar o cabelo (get a haircut), fazer escova (get a blowout), pintar or tingir o cabelo (color your hair). Brazilian salons often use cortar as a general service, so explain the length or style when you arrive. Ask about an available time before assuming the appointment is confirmed.

If you do not know the name of a technique, show a reference photo and describe the result in plain terms. A photo is a guide, not a guarantee that the same cut will look identical with different hair texture or length.

Explain length and how much to remove

Use só as pontas (just the ends) when you want a small trim. Para tirar pouco (to take off a little) and na altura dos ombros (at shoulder length) make the result easier to discuss. Bring a reference photo and point to the length you mean; words such as curto (short) can be interpreted differently.

If you want to keep a specific length, say so before the first cut. You can ask the hairdresser to check with you before taking off more. This is a normal clarification, not a criticism of the professional.

Check details and ask for an adjustment

Before the service begins, confirm details such as washing, styling, and the price. At the end, look at the cut from the front and sides. If you want a small adjustment, describe the area and the change: um pouco mais curto aqui (a little shorter here). Thank the hairdresser and ask for the total before paying if it was not clear earlier.

Real Life Portuguese guides to shopping and polite requests can help with other service conversations. I Speak Portuguese also has teachers who can help you rehearse a real-life scenario before your visit.

Remember: Save three details before your appointment: the length you want to keep, the service you booked, and one phrase for asking the hairdresser to check before cutting more.

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.

1. Do you have an opening for a haircut on Friday?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você tem horário para cortar o cabelo na sexta?

2. I’d like to book a haircut for tomorrow afternoon.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Queria marcar um corte para amanhã à tarde.

3. How much does a cut and blowout cost?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quanto custa cortar e fazer escova?

4. I only want the ends trimmed, please.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quero tirar só as pontas, por favor.

5. Could you cut to about here?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode cortar até aqui, mais ou menos?

6. I’d rather keep the length. Could you take off just a little?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Prefiro manter o comprimento. Pode tirar bem pouco?

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.

Save three details before your appointment: the length you want to keep, the service you booked, and one phrase for asking the hairdresser to check before cutting more.

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 Portuguese at a Brazilian Hair Salon: Describe the Cut You Want 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.