Quick answer
Feriado is an official holiday day; férias is a vacation or break lasting a period.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
feriado
public holiday
Use feriado for one officially recognized day when work or school may stop.
férias
vacation or school break
Use férias for a longer period away from work or classes.
How to choose
- feriado: Choose feriado if the sentence points to one officially recognized day when work or school may stop.
- férias: Choose férias if the sentence points to a longer period away from work or classes.
Examples
A segunda-feira é feriado nacional.
Monday is a national holiday.
Vou viajar nas férias.
I am going to travel during my vacation.
Common trap
Férias is normally plural in Brazilian Portuguese, even when referring to one vacation period.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with feriado, then once with férias. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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