Quick answer
Direita is the side. Direito is rights, law, correctness, or the masculine form of right.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
direito
right, law, or straight
Use direito for rights, law, doing something properly, or going straight in some expressions.
direita
right side
Use direita for the right-hand side or political right.
How to choose
- direito: Choose direito if the sentence points to rights, law, doing something properly, or going straight in some expressions.
- direita: Choose direita if the sentence points to the right-hand side or political right.
Examples
Voce tem direito a ajuda.
You have the right to help.
Vire a direita.
Turn right.
Common trap
For directions, a direita means to the right. Direito without article can mean straight ahead in some contexts.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with direito, then once with direita. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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