trocados

Trocados is a noun in Portuguese used to refer to the coins or small denominations returned as change after a cash purchase. The term is widely understood in Brazilian Portuguese and other varieties, though in many contexts the more neutral term troco is preferred in formal writing. In everyday speech, trocados emphasizes the physical coins or the subset of money received as change rather than the overall amount due.

Etymology: derivation from trocar, to exchange; the noun trocado is formed with the suffix -ado, paralleling troco, which historically denotes the change itself or the amount returned. In dictionaries, trocado is listed as a noun meaning “the change received in a transaction” and as an adjective meaning “exchanged” or “swapped.”

Usage: People commonly say “Qual é o troco?” to ask for the change, or “Fique com os trocados” to indicate keeping the coins. In some regions trocados is more typical in spoken language, while troco appears in signage and more formal contexts.

Regional variation and history: The concept of trocados exists in all cash economies; the exact coins included vary by currency and historical period. In countries with decimal currency, trocados typically include the smallest denominations in circulation.

See also: troco, change, coin, currency denomination, cash transaction.