chuva
/ˈʃu.vɐ/
Definition
Water that falls from clouds in small drops; rain. Also used figuratively to mean a large amount of something.
Example
A chuva começou de repente durante o passeio.
Show translation
The rain started suddenly during the walk.
Etymology
From Latin *pluviam* (accusative of *pluvia*, "rain"), which evolved through Vulgar Latin and regular sound changes into Old Portuguese *chuva*. The initial *pl-* cluster shifted to *ch-* [ʃ], a characteristic feature of the Ibero-Romance languages — compare Spanish *lluvia* and Galician *choiva*.
Cultural note
Rain carries deep cultural weight in Portugal and Brazil. Portugal's Atlantic coast is famously rainy (Lisbon averages ~111 rainy days a year), and *chuva* weaves into everyday expression: "Está uma chuva de ofertas!" ("There's a shower of deals!"). In Brazil, sudden tropical downpours — *chuvas torrenciais* — are a fixture of summer life in cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Note that the pronunciation differs slightly between European Portuguese (/ˈʃu.vɐ/) and Brazilian Portuguese (/ˈʃu.vɐ/ is similar, but the final vowel is more open in many Brazilian dialects).