Contusão vs. hematoma vs. nódoa negra
While English often uses bruise for various stages of an injury, Portuguese makes distinctions based on the nature of the trauma. Contusão, hematoma, and nódoa negra move from the act of injury to the swelling and finally to the visual discoloration.
Contusão
B2This refers to the actual trauma or injury event caused by a blunt impact that does not break the skin. It focuses on the action of the blow and the damage to the muscle or soft tissue, rather than just the visual mark. It is very common in sports contexts.
O jogador sofreu uma contusão muscular na coxa.
(The player suffered a muscle contusion on his thigh.)
Foi apenas uma contusão leve, não partiu nenhum osso.
(It was just a mild contusion, no bones were broken.)
Aplique gelo imediatamente após uma contusão.
(Apply ice immediately after a contusion.)
A contusão no joelho obrigou-o a parar de correr.
(The knee contusion forced him to stop running.)
Hematoma
B2This is a more clinical or medical term describing the collection or pooling of blood outside the blood vessels. It implies a significant accumulation of blood, often resulting in a bump or swelling under the skin.
A pancada na cabeça formou um grande hematoma.
(The blow to the head formed a large hematoma.)
O médico precisou de drenar o sangue do hematoma.
(The doctor needed to drain the blood from the hematoma.)
Depois da cirurgia, apareceu um pequeno hematoma.
(After the surgery, a small hematoma appeared.)
O hematoma está a causar muita pressão e dor.
(The hematoma is causing a lot of pressure and pain.)
Nódoa negra
B1This is the most common colloquial term (especially in European Portuguese) for the visual flat purple, blue, or yellowish discoloration on the skin. It focuses strictly on the spot or mark you can see, rather than the internal swelling.
Tenho uma nódoa negra na perna porque bati na mesa.
(I have a bruise on my leg because I bumped into the table.)
Aquela nódoa negra demorou duas semanas a desaparecer.
(That bruise took two weeks to disappear.)
Acordei com uma nódoa negra no braço e não sei como a fiz.
(I woke up with a bruise on my arm and I don't know how I got it.)
A maquilhagem serviu para esconder a nódoa negra.
(The makeup served to hide the bruise.)
Summary
To summarize: a contusão is the injury or impact itself (the cause), a hematoma is the physiological swelling or blood clot that forms (the medical effect), and a nódoa negra is the visual purple spot on the skin (the visible sign).