Patuá: Introduction

The Macanese patois (patuá in Portuguese, papiá Macaísta or papiá Cristám in Macanese) is one of the so-called Creole languages which are broadly described as stable languages that evolved from several influences. It is based on Portuguese with admixtures mainly of Malay, Sinhalese and Cantonese.

In some sense the patuá was a primitive language and yet its phrases, frequently interspersed with words from two or three languages, were richly inventive and often wickedly humorous, revealing a surprising sophistication.

Today it is all but dead, remembered fondly by the very old and spoken only by a handful of Macanese dispersed all over the world. However, its close relative, Papia Cristam, appears to be surviving in the Portuguese village in Malacca.

To help preserve this language, the pronunciation of words in the lexicon have been recorded and included in this website.

This short introduction to the patuá is based on a primer by “Riri” d’Assumpção in his unpublished Anecdotes from Old Macau. – HdA Website Administrator

An introduction to the patua by “Riri” d’Assumpção

Articles on this website

  • Words and Phrases by Frederic A “Jim” Silva – common patuá terms with audio
  • Macanese language by Jorge Remedios – an introduction to the patuá
  • Filo di Quim  by Miguel Senna Fernandes – A humourous and insightful article on nicknames (in Portuguese and the Patuá)

Other websites

All You Need to Know About Macanese Culture
Como Tá Vai?  (in Portuguese)
Lost language: how Macau gambled away its past
Macanese Patuá – Wikipedia
Patuá Theatre: From a community theatre to a Macau Spectacle by Elisabela Larrea
Portuguese-based creole languages – Wikipedia
Spectacle by Elisabela Larrea
Saving Macau’s Dying Language

Dóci Papiaçám di Macau – A series of YouTube skits on Macau, in the patuá, with subtitles in the patuá, Chinese, Portuguese and English.

Macau Sãm Assi (This is Macau)

Dóci Culpa

Macau Champurado (Multicultural Macau)

Em Busca de Um Prémio – (In search of a prize)

Bichoman (Cockroachman – a parody of Spiderman)

Dóci Vai Rua

Fumasafe (Smoke without penalty)

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