Quick answer
Pesquisa is the broad, systematic process. Enquete is a quick poll of opinions.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
pesquisa
research, study, or survey
Use pesquisa for a systematic investigation, academic study, market survey, or careful search.
enquete
poll
Use enquete for a short set of opinion questions, often informal and not statistically representative.
How to choose
- pesquisa: Choose pesquisa if the sentence points to a systematic investigation, academic study, market survey, or careful search.
- enquete: Choose enquete if the sentence points to a short set of opinion questions, often informal and not statistically representative.
Examples
A pesquisa ouviu mil consumidores.
The survey interviewed one thousand consumers.
O site publicou uma enquete sobre transporte.
The site published a poll about transportation.
Common trap
An online enquete should not automatically be called pesquisa científica. The sampling and method determine what conclusions it supports.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with pesquisa, then once with enquete. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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