Pasta: It’s Not What You Think

When English speakers see the word pasta in Portuguese, they often assume it refers to delicious Italian noodles. But in Portuguese, 'pasta' usually means folder, file, or paste, not food.

What Pasta Means in Portuguese

In European Portuguese, pasta most commonly means:

• Folder or file (something you use to store documents)

  Ex: pasta de documentos (document folder)

• Paste (like toothpaste or glue)

  Ex: pasta de dentes (toothpaste)

If you want to talk about the Italian food, you usually say massa.

• Ex: Eu adoro massa italiana. (I love Italian pasta.)

Why It’s a Classic False Friend

'Pasta' looks and sounds exactly like the English word, so it’s a very easy mistake to make. But in day-to-day Portuguese, you’re more likely to hear it when someone is talking about work, paperwork, or files, not food.

Quick Tip

When you see pasta on a Portuguese shop sign, it probably means stationery, folders, or even paste. If you see massa on a menu, that’s your pasta dish!

• Pasta: Folder, paste, toothpaste, etc.

• Massa: Pasta (the food), dough, batter

Final Thought

False friends like this can trip you up in funny ways, but once you know them, you’ll remember them for life. Keep an eye out for words that look familiar but have a totally different meaning in Portuguese.

Stay tuned for more of these helpful tips in the false friends series!