Original post by HelpfulDuo | Archived post
Many masculine and feminine nouns in Portuguese look like each other but have completely different meanings. Some even have the same spelling, but take on different meanings depending on their gender.
Have a look at the following examples:
male noun | meaning | female noun | meaning |
---|---|---|---|
barco | boat; ship | barca | small vessel |
bolo | cake | bola | ball |
bolso | bolsa | handbag | |
cano | pipe (water) | cana | cane (sugarcane) |
capital | assets; principal (business) | capital | capital city or large city |
cargo | job (job title) | carga | cargo; load |
carteiro | postman | carteira | wallet |
caso | case; affair | casa | house |
cigarro | cigarette | cigarra | cicada (insect) |
cinto | belt | cinta | strap; brace; waistband |
conto | tale; short story | conta | bill; calculation; account |
corredor | corridor; male runner | corredora | female runner |
corte | cut | côrte | court (i.e. king's court) |
direito | law; right | direita | right side |
foco | focus; spotlight | foca | seal |
guia | guidebook; male guide | guia | curb; payment form; female guide |
milho | corn | milha | mile |
partido | political party | partida | departure; match (game) |
pato | duck | pata | paw |
ponto | point | ponta | edge; end |
porto | port | porta | door |
prato | plate | prata | silver |
técnico | male coach; technician | técnica | female coach; technique |
tesouro | treasure | tesoura | scissors |
tiro | gunshot | tira | strip; cop |
Practice your Portuguese!
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