Quick answer
Tráfego is movement and flow; tráfico is illicit trade.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
tráfego
traffic or flow
Use tráfego for the movement of vehicles, data, ships, aircraft, or people through a route.
tráfico
illegal trade or trafficking
Use tráfico for prohibited commerce or movement, especially of drugs, weapons, animals, or people.
How to choose
- tráfego: Choose tráfego if the sentence points to the movement of vehicles, data, ships, aircraft, or people through a route.
- tráfico: Choose tráfico if the sentence points to prohibited commerce or movement, especially of drugs, weapons, animals, or people.
Examples
O tráfego ficou lento na ponte.
Traffic became slow on the bridge.
A operação investigou o tráfico de animais.
The operation investigated wildlife trafficking.
Common trap
English “traffic” can point to either word. Vehicles create tráfego; illegal commerce constitutes tráfico.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with tráfego, then once with tráfico. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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