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On the Wikipedia article in Spanish about Brazil, both terms, brasileño and brasilero, are used as gentilic for people born in Brazil. It also mentions that brasilero is used only on certain regions and as an adjective. So, the question is, under what circumstances is it acceptable to use brasileño and brasilero?

En el artículo en español de Wikipedia acerca de Brasil ambos términos, brasileño y brasilero, son usados como gentilicio para personas nacidas es Brasil. También se menciona que brasilero es usado solamente en algunas regiones y como un adjetivo. Así que la pregunta es: ¿bajo qué circunstancias es aceptable usar brasileño y brasilero?

Quotation/Citación

El natural de Brasil se denomina brasileño o brasileña, aunque en el habla corriente de varios países hispanos limítrofes con Brasil, también se usa con carácter de sinónimo tanto brasilero como brasilera, así como también se usan estos dos términos en otros diferentes contextos, al utilizarlos por ejemplo como adjetivo o como sustantivo.267 Véase que en la formación de gentilicios en idioma español, se usan ambas terminaciones -eño, -ero.

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The word for the citizen of Brasil in Portuguese is brasileiro. I think because of the many similarities that Spanish and Portuguese language have, it was added to the Spanish.

Your quotation says that the countries close to Brazil are the ones saying brasilero, so that makes a lot of sense, because they are more in contact with them.

Brasileño has been always the word for citizens of Brazil in Spanish.

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  • I want add that I am from Perú, also next to Brazil, so i heard the use of these words.
    – eLRuLL
    Commented Feb 5, 2013 at 14:02
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Being from Argentina (next to Brasil) we use both without distinction. I can't assure you that's common outside South America (meaning the rest of Latin America and Spain), but I reckon Spanish speakers from all around will understand both without a problem.

Now if you are writing for a newspaper or your PhD I'd suggest to use brasileño, which is the former one.

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    A similar case in Argentina: "sureño/surero". In both cases (and looking at other words that have no ambiguity: norteño, caribeño) the "eño" sufix seems more fundamental and original, and the "ero" looks as a variant that strives for better sound.
    – leonbloy
    Commented Feb 4, 2013 at 17:25
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En España "brasilero" no se usa nunca, o al menos yo nunca lo he escuchado de boca de alguien nacido en este lado del charco.

Es más, creo que si a los españoles nos piden usar otra palabra en lugar de "brasileño", seguro que a la mayoría se nos vendría a la mente de forma espontánea "brasileiro","brazilian", o incluso "brésilien" pero no "brasilero".

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The word "brasilero" is accepted by the Real Academia de la Lengua. So, you can use it instead of "brasileño" without any problem.

Recommendation: when you doubt about a word, just check it at http://www.rae.es. To be honest, I always thought that "brasilero" was wrong but it turns out that is correct.

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Según la RAE Real Academia Española la bíblica de la lengua española, es brasileño, a. Brasilero, a no existe. Mucho menos brasileiro, a; que es en portugués.

Igualmente con el gentilicio perteneciente a Jamaica. Es jamaicano, a. No se dice jamaiquino, a.

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