Pá vs. espada
While both words represent physical objects held in the hand, pá and espada have largely different functions. The confusion often stems from English speakers translating the card suit Spades to espadas, while the digging tool spade translates to pá. Simply put, pá is a tool for work, and espada is a weapon for combat.
Pá
B1This word refers to a shovel or a spade. It is a tool consisting of a broad blade attached to a handle, used for digging, lifting, or moving bulk materials like soil, snow, or trash.
O jardineiro usou uma pá para cavar o buraco.
(The gardener used a shovel to dig the hole.)
Por favor, traga a pá de lixo para limparmos a cozinha.
(Please bring the dustpan so we can clean the kitchen.)
Os trabalhadores usam a pá para misturar o cimento.
(The workers use the shovel to mix the cement.)
Precisamos comprar uma pá nova para tirar a neve da entrada.
(We need to buy a new shovel to clear the snow from the driveway.)
Espada
B1This word means sword. It is a weapon characterized by a long metal blade used for cutting or thrusting. (Note: Interestingly, in card games, the suit Spades is called Espadas in Portuguese, literally translating to Swords).
O cavaleiro medieval carregava uma espada pesada.
(The medieval knight carried a heavy sword.)
No museu, vimos uma espada que pertenceu a um imperador.
(In the museum, we saw a sword that belonged to an emperor.)
A esgrima é um esporte que envolve o uso de uma espada.
(Fencing is a sport that involves the use of a sword.)
O samurai limpou sua espada cuidadosamente após a batalha.
(The samurai cleaned his sword carefully after the battle.)
Summary
To summarize, use pá when referring to a shovel, spade, or dustpan used for digging or cleaning. Use espada when referring to a sword used as a weapon. Be careful with card games: the English suit Spades is Espadas (swords) in Portuguese, not pás.