Glossary of the Portuguese theory exam
Updated
The exame de código (theory exam) uses Portuguese, including when a translator has written an English version of your paper. These 83 terms are ones you will meet in the official IMT questions and in the study material on this site. The Portuguese word is the one to remember.
A short meaning is not the law. The Code stays in Portuguese. For the process, see a licence if you do not speak Portuguese and how to ask for a translator.
The exam and the licence
Words you will see on forms, at the school, and on the test itself.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| exame de código | theory exam | The multiple-choice theory test. People still use this name more than the official one. |
| prova teórica | theory test | The official name of the theory exam in the driving regulations. |
| prova prática | practical test | The on-road driving test. It comes after the theory test. |
| carta de condução | driving licence | The licence itself. Category B is the ordinary car licence. |
| licença de aprendizagem | learner's permit | The document that lets you take lessons and sit the tests. It is not the full licence. |
| escola de condução | driving school | A private school. It gives the lessons and, as a rule, books your tests. |
| candidato a condutor | candidate | You, while you are still working towards the licence. |
| categoria B | category B | The licence for a car. Other letters (A, C, D) are motorcycles, lorries and buses. |
| centro de exames | exam centre | Where you sit the test. It can be an IMT centre or a private one. |
| perguntas | questions | The official IMT questions. On this site, and in the exam, they are in Portuguese. |
| resposta certa | correct answer | Each question has one right option. The others are wrong. |
| habilitação legal para conduzir | legal authority to drive | The right to drive a given category. The licence is the document that shows it. |
The road
Two words are easy to mix up. The carriageway is the whole part for vehicles. A lane is one corridor inside it.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| via pública | public road | Any road open to traffic. The Highway Code is about what happens here. |
| faixa de rodagem | carriageway | The part of the road meant for vehicles, not the pavement. |
| via de trânsito | traffic lane | One lane of the carriageway. A road can have several. |
| berma | verge | The strip beside the carriageway. It is not a normal lane. |
| passeio | pavement | The part for pedestrians, beside the road. |
| cruzamento | crossroads | Where two roads cross. |
| entroncamento | junction | Where one road joins another, often in a T. |
| rotunda | roundabout | A circular junction. You give way to traffic already on it. |
| passagem para peões | pedestrian crossing | A marked place for people to cross. Often a zebra crossing. |
| passagem de nível | level crossing | Where the road crosses a railway on the flat. |
| autoestrada | motorway | A fast road with separate carriageways. Some users are banned, including pedestrians and bicycles. |
| via reservada a automóveis e motociclos | road reserved for cars and motorcycles | A fast road that is not a motorway. The questions treat the two as different. |
| localidade | built-up area | A town or village. Speed limits and some signs change at the boundary. |
| fora das localidades | outside a built-up area | Open road, between towns. Several parking and speed rules change here. |
Who goes first
Priority questions are a large part of the exam. Learn the Portuguese name, not only the idea.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| prioridade | priority | The right to go first. |
| cedência de passagem | giving way | Letting the other vehicle go. You slow down and stop if you have to. |
| ceder a passagem | to give way | The verb the questions use. It is not the same as a full stop if the way is clear, unless the sign says STOP. |
| regra da direita | priority to the right | With no signs, you give way to a vehicle coming from your right. |
| STOP | STOP | You stop completely, even if the road looks empty. The sign is an octagon. |
| triângulo invertido | inverted triangle | The give-way sign. You slow down and stop only if you need to. |
| via com prioridade | priority road | A road where you keep priority at the next junctions, until the sign that ends it. |
| sinal de cedência de passagem | give-way sign | The sign that tells you to give way. It beats the priority-to-the-right rule. |
| agente regulador | traffic officer | A person directing traffic. Their orders beat the lights and the signs. |
| semáforo | traffic light | The lights beat ordinary signs. An officer beats the lights. |
Signs, lights and markings
The exam groups signs by what they do. The shape and the colour are part of the question.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sinalização | signs and markings | The whole system: vertical signs, lights, road markings and temporary signs. |
| sinal de perigo | warning sign | A sign that warns you of a hazard ahead. Usually a triangle. |
| sinal de proibição | prohibitory sign | A sign that forbids something, such as entry or overtaking. |
| sinal de obrigação | mandatory sign | A sign that tells you what you must do, such as turn or use lights. |
| sinal de indicação | information sign | A sign that informs you: directions, lanes, the end of a restriction. |
| marcas rodoviárias | road markings | Paint on the road: lines, arrows, crossings. |
| sinalização luminosa | light signals | Traffic lights and other light signals, as a topic of their own. |
| sinalização temporária | temporary signs | Signs for roadworks and diversions. They can override the permanent ones. |
| triângulo de pré-sinalização | warning triangle | The triangle you place behind a broken-down vehicle so others can see it. |
| passagem de peões | pedestrian crossing | Another way the questions name the crossing. Watch for it next to a sign or a marking. |
Speed and manoeuvres
The verb in the question is often the whole point. Stopping is not the same as parking.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| velocidade | speed | How fast you go. Limits depend on the road and the vehicle. |
| abrandar | to slow down | Reduce speed. It does not always mean stop. |
| parar | to stop | Come to a halt. At a STOP sign, the halt is obligatory. |
| paragem | stopping | A short halt, for example to drop someone off. Different from parking. |
| estacionamento | parking | Leaving the vehicle. Several places forbid it even when a short stop is allowed. |
| ultrapassagem | overtaking | Passing a vehicle in front. The questions love the places where it is forbidden. |
| mudança de direção | turning | Turning left or right off your course. You signal and position the car first. |
| inversão do sentido de marcha | turning round | A U-turn. Forbidden in more places than a normal turn. |
| marcha atrás | reversing | Driving backwards. It is slow, short, and forbidden in places such as a motorway. |
| distância de segurança | following distance | The gap you keep from the vehicle in front so you can stop. |
| visibilidade | visibility | How far you can see. Poor visibility changes lights, speed and overtaking. |
| condições adversas | bad conditions | Rain, fog, ice, or heavy traffic. The safe speed is below the posted limit. |
People, vehicles and documents
The exam uses the legal name of the road user, not the everyday word.
| Portuguese | English | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| condutor | driver | The person driving. Many duties in the questions belong to the driver, not the passenger. |
| peão | pedestrian | A person on foot. They have their own crossings and their own priority rules. |
| passageiro | passenger | Someone being carried. Seat belts and child seats are a favourite topic. |
| velocípede | cycle | A bicycle, in the language of the Code. It is a vehicle, not a toy. |
| ciclomotor | moped | A light two-wheeler, below a motorcycle. It has its own category, AM. |
| motociclo | motorcycle | A motorcycle. Categories A1, A2 and A split them by power. |
| automóvel ligeiro | passenger car | A light car. The questions contrast it with a heavy vehicle. |
| pesado | heavy vehicle | A heavy vehicle. Weight and the number of seats decide when a vehicle counts as one. |
| reboque | trailer | A trailer. It changes the rules for speed, lights and the licence you need. |
| pneu | tyre | A tyre. Tread and pressure show up in the vehicle questions. |
| travões | brakes | Brakes. They are active safety: they help you avoid the crash. |
| médios | dipped headlights | Dipped beam. The questions also call them luzes de cruzamento. Used so you do not dazzle others. |
| máximos | main beam | Full beam. You dip them when another driver is there to be dazzled. |
| pisca | indicator | The direction indicator. You switch it on before the manoeuvre and off as soon as it is finished. |
| cinto de segurança | seat belt | A seat belt. It is passive safety: it reduces harm if you crash. Required for the people in the car. |
| álcool | alcohol | Alcohol. The questions measure it, and the limit is stricter for a new driver and for professionals. |
| taxa de alcoolemia | blood alcohol level | Alcohol in the blood, in grams per litre. The questions give a number and ask what it means. |
| regime probatório | probationary period | The first years of a new licence, with stricter rules. |
| condução defensiva | defensive driving | Driving so that other people's mistakes do not become your crash. |
| atestado médico | medical certificate | The doctor's certificate that you are fit to drive. The doctor sends it to the IMT. |
| inspeção | vehicle inspection | The periodic technical inspection of the vehicle. |
| contraordenação | administrative offence | A traffic offence dealt with by a fine, not as a crime. The most serious cases are crimes. |
| coima | fine | The fine for an administrative offence. |
| responsabilidade civil | civil liability | The duty to pay for harm you cause. This is why civil-liability insurance is compulsory. |
| pontos | penalty points | The points on your licence. You lose them for offences, and you can lose the licence. |