# What Is This Portuguese/Brazilian Term Of Endearment? (Sounds like "Ma-MAU")

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 25, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488 "2021-08-25T12:54:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/1 "2021-08-25T12:54:48Z")

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In [this video](https://youtu.be/UyY0ZoeELdo?t=423), the older guy (Brazilian) calls the younger guy (his nephew) something that sounds like “Ma-MAU” or “Mo-MAU.” That’s not the younger man’s name - I know this because he addresses another younger man (another nephew) the same way in other videos.

What is this word and what does it mean?

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**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/2 "2021-08-25T13:48:36Z")

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Almost certainly _meu irmão_, meaning “my brother”, kind of like saying “my man”…  
It is often spoken quickly without full enunciation.

ETA: I didn’t realize you had a video…I looked at it and stand by my statement, though the accent is from somewhere other than Rio. It’s the kind of thing guys say to each other all the time.

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/3 "2021-08-25T13:59:23Z")

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Thanks!! Or, _obrigado_.

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/4 "2021-08-25T19:23:04Z")

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I had a Puerto Rican coworker that used it. One particular way was in playful teasing after someone made a boneheaded but harmless mistake. Sort of like one might say ‘Nice grip there, butterfingers’ if I dropped a screwdriver. But it was also funny used as a general address like ‘What time you mamaus taking lunch?’

He doesn’t work here anymore but we still sometimes use the term.

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**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/5 "2021-08-25T19:30:49Z")

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> [@jnglmassiv](#):
>
> I had a Puerto Rican coworker that used it.

You mean “mano” ?

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-portuguese-brazilian-term-of-endearment-sounds-like-ma-mau/949488/6 "2021-08-26T01:03:15Z")

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> [@DPRK](#):
>
> You mean “mano” ?

No way, the mamau in the video sounds exactly like he said it.