Hostage in Portuguese 🇧🇷

refém info.

Tips to remember:
• Think of “refém” as a combination of “re” (again, as if "held again") and “fém” which sounds like “fame” – imagining someone famous being held captive can create a vivid image.
• Associate it with the English “hostage” by picturing a dramatic movie scene where a "refém" is central to the plot.

Explanations:
• “Refém” is the Portuguese word for “hostage,” referring to a person held against their will to secure certain demands.
• It implies a situation where someone's freedom is restricted under threat.

Other words that mean the same thing:
• Cativo (can also refer to someone captive in a broader sense)
• Prisioneiro (means prisoner, which in certain contexts overlaps with “hostage”)

Alternate meanings / slang:
• While “refém” is primarily used in the context of kidnapping and hostage situations, in informal speech it may be used metaphorically. For example, someone might say they are “refém” of a particular habit or interest, meaning they are completely controlled or obsessed by it.

Examples of sentences that use it (and the translation):
• "Durante o sequestro, os reféns foram mantidos em um galpão abandonado."
 (“During the kidnapping, the hostages were kept in an abandoned warehouse.”)
• "Ela se sente como refém das responsabilidades diárias."
 (“She feels like a hostage to her daily responsibilities.”)
• "Os negociadores trabalharam para garantir a segurança dos reféns."
 (“The negotiators worked to ensure the safety of the hostages.”)

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