# beleza vs. linda



## lilly333

What is the difference between "beleza" and "linda" (when used as a noun)?

I've heard "linda" as a pet name for a loved one, can "beleza" be used the same way? If so, is it actually being used as much as linda in Bra Portuguese? Or less? Or not at all?

Obrigado


----------



## Joca

Well, we'd need a little more context to explain it to you.

Anyway, "beleza" is a noun (beauty) and "linda" is an adjective (pretty/beautiful in the feminine). 

In many parts of Brazil, we often say *beleza* in the same way as we say "it's ok," "it's great," "I agree"....... 
If it is a question, it means: "is it ok with you?", "do you agree with this?"

*Lindo/linda* can be used to anyone you are fond of, not necessarily your loved one, but in some cases it can sound a liitle bit ... sarcastic, if you see what I mean.

PS. Since you are a lady, you should say *obrigada*.


----------



## cristy0505

Beleza mean beauty but you wouldn't say like "Minha filha é beleza" (my daughter is beautiful) you'd say "Minha filha é bonita" however it would sounds less odd a pet be named as "Bela" instead of "Bonita".
hat can I say,portuguese/br very complicated language I'm brazilian myself and don't understand it all


----------



## uchi.m

lilly333 said:


> I've heard "linda" as a pet name for a loved one, can "beleza" be used the same way? If so, is it actually being used as much as linda in Bra Portuguese? Or less? Or not at all?


I've never heard someone using _beleza_ as a pet name for a loved one before. We often use this word as Joca explained above, i.e., as a tag question/answer.

_Linda_ sounds sarcastic only if you don't know the person you address very well, or when you mean the opposite depending on the tone/pitch of your voice.


----------



## Vanda

hehehehe. I've lived in a small town here in MInas and I knew a woman named Beleza. The problem is that the poor woman was - let's say - a little ugly herself.


----------



## Guigo

_Beleza_ (noun) & _belo/a_ (adj.) may be used in several senses, meaning that something/someone was good, emotional, impressive, fair, ect. For instance: "_Fabiano é um belo jogador_", and it's clear they are talking about his skill not his beauty.

_Lindeza_ (noun, 1st register in Portuguese in 1513 but rarely used) & _lindo/a_ (adj.) are more personal and generally used to indicate the beauty of someone in particular; though sometimes they are used in a sarcastic manner.

We also have _bonito/a_ (adj.) which IMO may be compared with _belo/a_, since it's usage has many senses.


EDIT: about the 'pet name', it's OK when used in the diminutive, like _minha lindinha._


----------



## lilly333

thank you all for your feedback

I heard someone say "beleza" to a woman so I thought that he might have called her that way, like in Italy they often say "ciao bella" ("hello beautiful" - even though I'm unsure wether you'd call a woman that like that in the US)

So, from what I understand from all your input is, that you wouldn't use in the way like you might say "oi linda" or "lindinha" (as a pet name for a loved person)...?

obrigada :-D


----------



## lilly333

@Guigo
you posted in the very same moment whe I hit the "post" button... reg. your example: could you say: "Fabiana é uma beleza"? (@ Vanda: in case she really IS a beauty...


----------



## coolbrowne

Hi *lilly333*

_Technically_ this is correct but it wouldn't be common in Brazil, referring to a person:





lilly333 said:


> could you say: "Fabiana é uma beleza"?


More to the point, it is not  used in the same way as "è una bellezza" _in Italian_.
Fabiana è una bellezza (IT) = Fabiana é linda/um amor (BR)​There are a number of other more slangish expressions, but this is about the right equivalence in straight timeless language.

Regards


----------



## lilly333

muito obrigada coolbrown


----------



## Carfer

lilly333 said:


> could you say: "Fabiana é uma beleza"?


 
A pergunta original parece orientada para o português do Brasil, mas no que toca ao de Portugal não há nenhum problema com essa afirmação. Aqui tanto faz dizer "_Fabiana é uma beleza_" como "_Fabiana é uma beldade_", mas julgo que a primeira versão será mais comum que a segunda. De resto, também não será de estranhar (dando de barato que a destinatária será receptiva ao cumprimento) que um homem se dirija a uma mulher dizendo: _'Olá, beleza'_.


----------



## Guigo

Carfer said:


> A pergunta original parece orientada para o português do Brasil, mas no que toca ao de Portugal não há nenhum problema com essa afirmação. Aqui tanto faz dizer "_Fabiana é uma beleza_" como "_Fabiana é uma beldade_", mas julgo que a primeira versão será mais comum que a segunda. De resto, também não será de estranhar (dando de barato que a destinatária será receptiva ao cumprimento) que um homem se dirija a uma mulher dizendo: _'Olá, beleza'_.


 
Carfer, como eu postei acima, pelo menos aqui, no Brasil, o uso de "beleza" tem variadas conotações, como:

- E aí, beleza? (Como vai, tudo bem?)
- Aquele professor é beleza! (Professor bom de ensino ou que é bom de nota)
- Saí com a Deborah Danielly e foi tudo beleza... (...)
- Olha como a Jenipapina é uma beleeeeeza!!! (provavelmente não é bela )

E outros usos, nestas linhas... 

Interessante que em internetês, a turminha escreve muito assim: _belew, blw_. Durma-se com um barulho desses!


----------



## Vanda

Sorry, I do have to disagree with my people and confirm what Carfer has said. We do say "Fulana is uma beleza" and not only in the slang sense Guigo explained above, although that is the most used way nowadays.
 Although less people would say "Fulana is uma beleza" referring how beautiful the person is, this a perfect usage and some people still does that.
As for calling people linda and lindinha this is how I do name all my students every single day, all of them: lindinhos e lindinhas, so much that now I'm known in the college as Professora lindinha. 
In summary, beleza (slang), beleza (noun), Beleza (proper name), lindo/linda (adjective), lindo/linda as pet name all of them are perfectly used.


----------



## lilly333

Carfer & Vanda:

I'm a little confused, as to wether one would/could use "beleza" as well as a pet name?
From what I understand from Carfer wrote ("E aí, beleza?") one could...? But the way you describe it, Vanda, seems it's not like "linda" or "lindinha" in the sense of a pet name...?

Or did I get something wrong?


----------



## Vanda

To make it less confused as we have said too much  for a poor language leraner, yes, you can say beleza or linda as a pet name.


----------



## cristy0505

You could actually call a pet whatever you wish however on portuguese/br it would sound very odd.
You could say "Maria é uma beleza" however the most used would be "Maria é linda" or "Maria é bonita" (muito bonita) .
Again,I'm talking about portuguese/BR


----------



## ham_let

lilly333 said:


> Carfer & Vanda:
> 
> I'm a little confused, as to wether one would/could use "beleza" as well as a pet name?
> From what I understand from Carfer wrote ("E aí, beleza?") one could...? But the way you describe it, Vanda, seems it's not like "linda" or "lindinha" in the sense of a pet name...?
> 
> Or did I get something wrong?



E aí, beleza? (Haha, so used to just typing "eae blz?") is not calling the person a beleza, it's asking if the person's life is a beauty, if the person is doing well.

It could be used as a pet name if that's what you interpreted it as. Not terribly common though. Often people just say "Beleza?" when asking for agreement... or conversely, when agreeing with someone. Maybe that's what you heard?


----------



## lilly333

cristy0505 said:


> You could actually call a pet whatever you wish however on portuguese/br it would sound very odd.



I think I'm the one now that created confusion... when I said "pet name" I didn't mean a name for an actual pet, but instead an affectionate name you'd use to call a person you like 



ham_let said:


> E aí, beleza? (Haha, so used to just typing "eae blz?") is not calling the person a beleza, it's asking if the person's life is a beauty, if the person is doing well.



aaaah... I think that's what I overheard... now I got it 

thank you all for your input!!


----------



## almufadado

Quando se diz que uma rapariga é uma beleza (beauty)
Não tem de ser necessárimente linda (beautiful)
Apenas aos olhos de quem olha há a certeza
Que não é apenas pelo aspecto que ela é bem vinda

You can say she is a beauty 
Even she is not beautiful
She can be pretty but not gorgeous 
May be a trick of your destiny
That you find her meaningful
Even if she is outrageous 

Diz o ditado que "quem feio ama, bonito lhe parece" !


----------

