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
Perigo is the source or state of danger; risco evaluates exposure or the chance of harm.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
risco
risk
Use risco for the possibility, probability, or exposure to an unwanted result.
perigo
danger or hazard
Use perigo for a person, object, or situation capable of causing harm.
How to choose
- risco: Choose risco if the sentence points to the possibility, probability, or exposure to an unwanted result.
- perigo: Choose perigo if the sentence points to a person, object, or situation capable of causing harm.
Examples
Há risco de atraso por causa da chuva.
There is a risk of delay because of the rain.
O vazamento representa perigo para os moradores.
The leak poses a danger to residents.
Common trap
A dangerous chemical is a perigo. The risco depends on dose, contact, controls, and probability.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with risco, then once with perigo. 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.