Which to use
“chega” is an adverb and “chegado” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #626
- “chega” frequency rank
- #4,379
- “chegado” frequency rank
- 5005
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | chega | chegado |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | utilizado como expletivo, transmite a ideia de “até mesmo” | próximo |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set chega and chegado apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: chega is /ˈʃe.ɡɐ/ while chegado is /ʃɨ.ˈɡa.du/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “chega” sits inside “chegado”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 5005, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
chega is recorded at frequency rank #626, classified as anadv, pronounced /ˈʃe.ɡɐ/. chegado is at rank #4,379, tagged as anadj, pronounced /ʃɨ.ˈɡa.du/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 5005, this pair ranks #69,722 of 75,631 scored Portuguese confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of chega vs chegado
Shared letters: acegh. Private to "chega": -. Private to "chegado": do.
"chega" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "chegado" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "chega" and "chegado" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "chega" or "chegado"?
Remembering chega vs chegado
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “chega”; for an adjective, it's “chegado”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “chega” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable