Couve vs. repolho
While both couve and repolho can be translated as "cabbage" in English, they refer to distinct varieties of the vegetable based on their shape and texture. Repolho refers to the round, tight-headed cabbage, whereas couve generally refers to leafy greens like collard greens or kale.
Couve
A2This word usually refers to leafy brassicas that do not form a tight, round head, such as collard greens or kale. In Brazil, couve almost exclusively refers to couve-manteiga (collard greens), which has large, smooth, dark green leaves and is traditionally eaten thinly sliced and sautéed. In Portugal, it acts as a broader term for various kales and cabbages.
A feijoada brasileira é sempre servida com couve refogada.
(Brazilian feijoada is always served with sautéed collard greens.)
Minha mãe usa couve para fazer um suco verde muito saudável.
(My mother uses kale to make a very healthy green juice.)
O caldo verde é uma sopa portuguesa feita com batata e couve.
(Caldo verde is a Portuguese soup made with potato and kale.)
Você deve lavar as folhas de couve antes de cortá-las.
(You must wash the collard green leaves before cutting them.)
Repolho
A2This word refers specifically to head cabbage, which grows in a dense, spherical ball. It has a crunchy texture and lighter, tightly packed leaves. Repolho is frequently eaten raw in salads (coleslaw) or cooked in stews. It comes in two main color varieties: repolho verde (green) and repolho roxo (purple/red).
Eu adoro salada de repolho com cenoura e maionese.
(I love cabbage salad with carrots and mayonnaise.)
O repolho roxo é mais doce que o verde.
(The purple cabbage is sweeter than the green one.)
Precisamos de metade de um repolho para essa receita.
(We need half a head of cabbage for this recipe.)
O repolho cozido tem um cheiro muito forte.
(Boiled cabbage has a very strong smell.)
Summary
To distinguish them easily, look at the shape: if it is a round, hard ball, it is repolho (head cabbage). If it consists of loose, large, dark green leaves, it is couve (collard greens or kale). While couve appears in compound names for other vegetables like couve-flor (cauliflower), on its own, it implies the leafy green variety.