Definition
A place or location; also used to mean a seat or spot reserved for someone.
Example
Esse é o meu lugar favorito na cidade.
Show translation
This is my favorite place in the city.
Etymology
From Latin *locāle*, derived from *locus* ("place"). The word evolved through Vulgar Latin into Old Portuguese *logar*, then *lugar*, retaining the core sense of a physical or abstract position in space.
Cultural note
Brazilians use *lugar* in a wide range of everyday situations — reserving a seat on a bus ("guardar o lugar"), describing a hometown ("meu lugar no mundo"), or even philosophically ("cada coisa no seu lugar" — everything in its place). The phrase "em lugar de" means "instead of," which surprises many learners who expect "no lugar de."