What does “moço” mean when Brazilians address a stranger?

Brazilians rarely open with senhor unless the moment is formal or the person is clearly older. The everyday choice is moço and moça — literally “young man” and “young woman,” but used for almost any adult you are speaking to at a counter, a bus door or a market stall. Moço, quanto custa? is exactly “excuse me, how much is it?”: polite, warm, and no name required.

Children use it as a plain noun for an unfamiliar adult — o moço está trabalhando, “the man is working.” The neighbouring options each carry their own flavour: senhor/senhora is respectful and distancing, tio/tia is affectionate for someone a generation up, amigo is chummy. In the clip a small girl offers a robber her doll with pode levar minha boneca, moço — the politeness completely intact.