RIO DE JANEIRO — When Brazilians were given a chance to describe their skin color, they came up with 136 shades and variations. The survey was done in 1976 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and was published again in a 2011 Congressional document titled: The Constitutional Commission on Justice and Citizenship.
The list illustrates how Brazilians see themselves, a far more complex color system than simply black or white. English translations are provided.
- Acastanhada: Somewhat chestnut-colored
- Agalegada: Somewhat like a Galician
- Alva: Snowy white
- Alva escura: Dark snowy white
- Alvarenta (not in dictionary; poss. dialect): Snowy white
- Alvarinta: Snowy white
- Alva rosada: Pinkish white
- Alvinha: Snowy white
- Amarela: Yellow
- Amarelada: Yellowish
- Amarela-queimada: Burnt yellow
- Amarelosa: Yellowy
- Amorenada: Somewhat dark-skinned
- Avermelhada: Reddish
- Azul: Blue
- Azul-marinho: Sea blue
- Baiano: From Bahia
- Bem branca: Very white
- Bem clara: Very pale
- Bem morena: Very dark-skinned
- Branca: White
- Branca-avermelhada: White going on for red
- Branca-melada: Honey-colored white
- Branca-morena: White but dark-skinned
- Branca-palida: Pale white
- Branca-queimada: Burnt white
- Branca-sardenta: Freckled white
- Branca-suja: Off-white
- Branquica: Whitish
- Branquinha: Very white
- Bronze: Bronze-colored
- Bronzeada: Sun-tanned
- Bugrezinha-escura: Dark-skinned India
- Burro-quando-foge: Disappearing donkey (i.e. nondescript) humorous
- Cabocla: Copper-colored (refers to Indians)
- Cabo-verde: From Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
- Cafe: Coffee-colored
- Cafe-com-leite: Cafe au lait
- Canela: Cinnamon
- Canelada: Somewhat like cinnamon
- Cardao: Colour of the cardoon, or thistle (blue-violet)
- Castanha: Chestnut
- Castanha-clara: Light chestnut
- Castanha-escura: Dark chestnut
- Chocolate: Chocolate-colored
- Clara: Light-colored, pale
- Clarinha: Light-colored, pale
- Cobre: Copper-colored
- Corada: With a high color
- Cor-de-cafe: Coffee-colored
- Cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored
- Cor-de-cuia: Gourd-colored
- Cor-de-leite: Milk-colored (i.e. milk-white)
- Cor-de-ouro: Gold-colored (i.e. golden)
- Cor-de-rosa: Pink
- Cor-firme: Steady-colored
- Crioula: Creole
- Encerada: Polished
- Enxofrada: Pallid
- Esbranquecimento: Whitening
- Escura: Dark
- Escurinha: Very dark
- Fogoio: Having fiery-colored hair
- Galega: Galician or Portuguese
- Galegada: Somewhat like a Galician or Portuguese
- Jambo: Light-skinned (the color of a type of apple)
- Laranja: Orange
- Lilas: Lilac
- Loira: Blonde
- Loira-clara: Light blonde
- Loura: Blonde
- Lourinha: Petite blonde
- Malaia: Malaysian woman
- Marinheira: Sailor-woman
- Marrom: Brown
- Meio-amarela: Half-yellow
- Meio-branca: Half-white
- Meio-morena: Half dark-skinned
- Meio-preta: Half-black
- Melada: Honey-colored
- Mestica: Half-caste/mestiza
- Miscigenacao: Miscegenation
- Mista: Mixed
- Morena: Dark-skinned, brunette
- Morena-bem-chegada: Very nearly morena
- Morena-bronzeada: Sunburnt morena
- Morena-canelada: Somewhat cinnamon-colored morena
- Morena-castanha: Chestnut-colored morena
- Morena-clara: Light-skinned morena
- Morena-cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored morena
- Morena-jambo: Light-skinned morena
- Morenada: Somewhat morena
- Morena-escura: Dark morena
- Morena-fechada: Dark morena
- Morenao: Dark-complexioned man
- Morena-parda: Dark morena
- Morena-roxa: Purplish morena
- Morena-ruiva: Red-headed morena
- Morena-trigueira: Swarthy, dusky morena
- Moreninha: Petite morena
- Mulata: Mulatto girl
- Mulatinha: Little mulatto girl
- Negra: Negress
- Negrota: Young negress
- Palida: Pale
- Paraíba: From Paraíba
- Parda: Brown
- Parda-clara: Light brown
- Parda-morena: Brown morena
- Parda-preta: Black-brown
- Polaca: Polish woman
- Pouco-clara: Not very light
- Pouco-morena: Not very dark-complexioned
- Pretinha: Black – either young, or small
- Puxa-para-branco: Somewhat toward white
- Quase-negra: Almost negro
- Queimada: Sunburnt
- Queimada-de-praia: Beach sunburnt
- Queimada-de-sol: Sunburnt
- Regular: Regular, normal
- Retinta: Deep-dyed, very dark
- Rosa: Rose-coloured (or the rose itself)
- Rosada: Rosy
- Rosa-queimada: Sunburnt-rosy
- Roxa: Purple
- Ruiva: Redhead
- Russo: Russian
- Sapecada: Singed
- Sarará: Yellow-haired negro
- Sarauba (poss. dialect): Untranslatable
- Tostada: Toasted
- Trigo: Wheat
- Trigueira: Brunette
- Turva: Murky
- Verde: Green
- Vermelha: Red
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