mas
Portuguese, conjunction
mas is spelled M-A-S (3 letters) and appears 3,981 times per million words in written Portuguese, the 25th most frequent Portuguese word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Mas is a Portuguese conjunction meaning “but (introduces a clause that contradicts the implications of the previous clause)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). With an accent, más is a different word: “feminine plural of mau”. The Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) defines it as “conjunção coordenativa adversativa, indicando essencialmente contradição ou restrição quanto às ideias, nos…”.
What does mas mean in English?
conjunction
- 1
but (introduces a clause that contradicts the implications of the previous clause)
O livro é curto, mas bom.
- 2
but (introduces the correct information for something that was denied in the previous clause)
Fomos recebidos não com aplausos, mas pedradas.
- 3
but ... really; of course; no wonder (introduces the cause of the previous clause, with the implication that the result was expected given this cause)
Todos alunos reprovaram em matemática, mas ninguém estudou mesmo.
- 4
Emphasises an exclamation.
Mas que porcaria!
adverb
- 1
colloquialemphasises a previous clause, adverb or adjective; really; and how
Este livro é bom, mas bom mesmo.
noun
- 1
masculinebut (an instance of proclaiming an exception)
Quero que você termine isso, sem mas nem porquês.
contraction
- 1
femininecontraction of me + as: feminine plural of mo
adjective
- 1
femininefeminine plural of mau
Source: English Wiktionary, Portuguese section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Portuguese dictionaries define it
conjunction: 1. conjunção coordenativa adversativa, indicando essencialmente contradição ou restrição quanto às ideias, nos casos enumerados adiante: (re)estabelecer a verdade de algo 2. contrastar uma interpretação 3. ressaltar algo que precisa ser dito, após as palavras sim ou não 4. indicar mudança de assunto
contraction: 1. contração do pronome pessoal me com o pronome pessoal ou demonstrativo as
The definition in the Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), in Portuguese.
Source: Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of mas
- m'as alternative
Source: English Wiktionary and Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
English words that translate to mas
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is mas in Portuguese?
mas appears 3,981 times per million words in written Portuguese.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).