Quick answer
Endereço identifies a destination; direção tells which way to move or who directs something.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
endereço
address
Use endereço for the information that identifies where a place or digital resource is located.
direção
direction or management
Use direção for the way something points or moves, or the act of directing.
How to choose
- endereço: Choose endereço if the sentence points to the information that identifies where a place or digital resource is located.
- direção: Choose direção if the sentence points to the way something points or moves, or the act of directing.
Examples
Anote o endereço do hotel.
Write down the hotel’s address.
Em que direção fica o centro?
Which direction is downtown?
Common trap
To ask where someone lives, request the endereço, not the direção.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with endereço, then once with direção. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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