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
Inflação raises the general price level; infração breaks a rule or law.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
inflação
inflation
Use inflação for a sustained rise in the general level of prices.
infração
infraction or violation
Use infração for an act that breaks a law, rule, or regulation.
How to choose
- inflação: Choose inflação if the sentence points to a sustained rise in the general level of prices.
- infração: Choose infração if the sentence points to an act that breaks a law, rule, or regulation.
Examples
A inflação reduziu o poder de compra.
Inflation reduced purchasing power.
Estacionar ali é uma infração de trânsito.
Parking there is a traffic violation.
Common trap
The middle consonant separates economics from enforcement: preços sofrem inflação; motoristas cometem infrações.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with inflação, then once with infração. 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.