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Macaca [mɐˈkakɐ] (feminine) and macaco [mɐˈkaku] (masculine) are the Portuguese words for "monkey" (compare English macaque). In Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries, macaco (plural macacos) is used as a racial slur against black people. Similarly the word "macaque" was used as a racial slur by Belgians in their African colonies. The word is sometimes similarly used in English as a slur for dark-skinned people, pronounced /məˈkɑːkə, -koʊ/ or /məˈkækə, -koʊ/.