Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Cível is the specialized legal adjective for civil-law jurisdiction; civil has the broader civic, civilian, and social meanings.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
cível
civil-law
Use cível for the branch of law and courts dealing with noncriminal civil matters.
civil
civil or civilian
Use civil for citizenship, private society, nonmilitary status, or courteous conduct.
How to choose
- cível: Choose cível if the sentence points to the branch of law and courts dealing with noncriminal civil matters.
- civil: Choose civil if the sentence points to citizenship, private society, nonmilitary status, or courteous conduct.
Examples
O processo tramita numa vara cível.
The case is proceeding in a civil court.
A defesa civil emitiu um alerta.
Civil defense issued an alert.
Common trap
A ação can be cível, while a pessoa is civil. In legal titles, preserve the institution’s exact terminology.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with cível, then once with civil. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.