Portuguese Genealogical Word List
This list contains Portuguese words with their English translations. The words included here are those that you are likely to find in genealogical sources. If the word you are looking for is not on this list, please consult a Portuguese-English dictionary.
Portuguese is a Romance language and is very similar to Spanish. It is the national language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola. It is also spoken on the Chinese island of Macau and in the Goa region of India and used in some of the official records of these places. In the United States, Portuguese is spoken in places such as Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts, as well as many areas in California and Hawaii where Portuguese immigrants have settled.
Word List
Language Characteristics
Portuguese words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are classified as masculine, feminine, or, in some cases, neuter. O (the masculine form of the) is used with masculine words. A (the feminine form of the) is used with feminine words. Masculine nouns generally end in o, r, l, and ma. Feminine nouns generally end in a, ão, dade, tude, and ume. Nouns which end in orgenerally are masculine; an a is added to indicate the feminine version.
Adjectives which end in o or a reflect the same gender of the nouns they refer to. For example, the married son would be translated as o filho casado,while the married daughter would be translated as a filha casada.
Many adjectives do not end in o or a and so do not indicate gender. For example, the large book would be translated as o livro grande, while the large parish would be translated as a paróquia grande.
Variant Forms of Words
In Portuguese, as in English, the forms of some words will vary according to how they are used in a sentence.Who—whose—whom or marry—marries—married are examples of words in English with variant forms. This word list gives only the standard form of each Portuguese word. As you read Portuguese records, be aware that some words vary with usage.
Plural forms of Portuguese words usually add s to the singular noun as well as the article and adjective. Thus, o avô materno (the maternal grandparent) becomes os avôs maternos (the maternal grandparents).
Alphabetical Order
The Portuguese alphabet uses the same 26 letters and alphabetical used in English. The letters k and w are used only in words that are not of Portuguese origin.
Accent Marks
Some letters in Portuguese can carry accent marks that indicate how to pronounce the letter, or which syllable in a word is stressed. They do not affect alphabetical order. The accent marks include:
- agudo á, é, í, ó, ú
- cedilha ç
- circunflexo ê, ô
- grave à, è
- til ã, ˜e, õ, ˜u
- trema ü
Spelling
Although Portuguese spelling was standardized by the mid-1700s, scribes usually spelled words the way they sounded. Generally, variations between old and modern spellings should not cause too much trouble for the researcher. The following words are examples of old and modern spelling variations:
| Variation | Old | Modern |
| y became i | Pereyra | Pereira |
| h became silent | hum, honze | um, onze |
| ã became am | tãpa | tampa |
| ˜e became em | b˜e | bem |
| ˜u became um | h˜u | um |
| ph became f | pharol | farol |
| nn became n | annos | anos |
| mpç became nç | assumpção | assunção |
| pt became t | baptismo | batismo (Brazilian usage only) |
Additional Resources
This word list includes words most commonly found in genealogical sources. For further help, use a Portuguese-English dictionary. Several Portuguese- English dictionaries are available at the Family History Library in the European collection. The call numbers begin with 469.321.
The following dictionary is on microfilm and available to Family History Centers:
- Dicionário Inglês-Português. Porto, Portugal: Editorial Domingos Barreira, 1978. (FHL book 469.321 F413d, film 1,181,702.)
Additional dictionaries are listed in the Subject section of the Family History Library Catalog under PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE - DICTIONARIES. Most bookstores also sell inexpensive Portuguese-English dictionaries.
A helpful guide for reading Portuguese genealogical records is:
- Basic Portuguese Paleography. Series H, no. 20. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints, Genealogical Department, 1978. (FHL book 467.17 B292, fiche 6001480.) This guide includes many examples of Portuguese records, handwriting, abbreviations, given names, and spelling variations.
Key Words
To find and use specific types of Portuguese records, you will need to know some key words. This section gives key genealogical terms in English and the Portuguese words with the same or similar meanings, including varying forms of the same word.
For example, in the first column you will find the English word marriage. In the second column you will find Portuguese words with meanings such as marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock, unite, joined, and other words used in Portuguese records to indicate marriage. When a word has both a masculine and a feminine version, the feminine ending is given in parentheses.
| English | Portuguese |
| baptism | batismo, batisei, foi batisado(a) |
| birth | nascimento, nasceu, nascido(a), deu à luz, crisma |
| burial | enterro, enterrei, enterrado(a), sepultado(a), sepultura |
| Catholic Church | Igreja Católica |
| census | censo, rol |
| child | filho(a), criança, párvulo(a) |
| church record | registro paroquial |
| confirmation | crisma, confirmação |
| day | dia |
| death | morte, falecimento, óbito, falecido(a), defunto(a) |
| father | pai |
| husband | marido, esposo, homem |
| index | índice |
| marriage | casamento, matrimônio, recebimento |
| month | mês |
| mother | mãe |
| name, given | nome, alcunha, graça |
| name, surname | nome, sobrenome, apelido |
| parents | pais |
| parish | paróquia |
| wife | esposa, mulher |
| year | ano |
Numbers
In some genealogical records, numbers are written out. This is especially true with dates. The following list gives the cardinal (1, 2, 3) and the ordinal (1st, 2nd, 3rd) versions of each number. In Portuguese, days of the month are written in ordinal form.
| Cardinal | Ordinal | ||
| 0 | zero | ||
| 1 | um | 1st | primeiro |
| 2 | dois | 2nd | segundo |
| 3 | três | 3rd | terceiro |
| 4 | quatro | 4th | quarto |
| 5 | cinco | 5th | quinto |
| 6 | seis | 6th | sexto |
| 7 | sete | 7th | sétimo |
| 8 | oito | 8th | oitavo |
| 9 | nove | 9th | nono |
| 10 | dez | 10th | décimo |
| 11 | onze | 11th | décimo primeiro |
| 12 | doze | 12th | décimo segundo |
| 13 | treze | 13th | décimo terceiro |
| 14 | catorze | 14th | décimo quarto |
| 15 | quinze | 15th | décimo quinto |
| 16 | dezesseis | 16th | décimo sexto |
| 17 | dezessete | 17th | décimo sétimo |
| 18 | dezoit | 18th | décimo oitavo |
| 19 | dezenove | 19th | décimo nono |
| 20 | vinte | 20th | vigésimo |
| 21 | vinte e um | 21st | vigésimo primeiro |
| 22 | vinte e dois | 22nd | vigésimo segundo |
| 23 | vinte e três | 23rd | vigésimo terceiro |
| 24 | vinte e quatro | 24th | vigésimo quarto |
| 25 | vinte e cinco | 25th | vigésimo quinto |
| 26 | vinte e seis | 26th | vigésimo sexto |
| 27 | vinte e sete | 27th | vigésimo sétimo |
| 28 | vinte e oito | 28th | vigésimo oitavo |
| 29 | vinte e nove | 29th | vigésimo nono |
| 30 | trinta | 30th | trigésimo |
| 31 | trinta e um | 31st | trigésimo primero |
| 40 | quarenta | 40th | quadragésimo |
| 50 | cinqüenta | 50th | quinquagésimo |
| 60 | sessenta | 60th | sexagésimo |
| 70 | setenta | 70th | setuagésimo |
| 80 | oitenta | 80th | octogésimo |
| 90 | noventa | 90th | nonagésimo |
| 100 | cem, cento | 100th | centésimo |
| 200 | duzentos | 200th | ducentésimo |
| 300 | trezentos | 300th | tricentésimo |
| 400 | quatrocentos | 400th | quadringentésimo |
| 500 | quinhentos | 500th | quingentésimo |
| 600 | seiscentos | 600th | sexcentésimo |
| 700 | setecentos | 700th | setingentésimo |
| 800 | oitocentos | 800th | octingentésimo |
| 900 | novecentos | 900th | nongentésimo |
| 1000 | mil | 1000th | milésimo |
Dates and Time
In Portuguese records, dates are spelled out, for example:
- No vigésimo terceiro dia do mês de março do ano de mil oito centos e trinta e tres [On the twenty-third day of March of the year of one thousand eight hundred and thirty and three].
To understand Portuguese dates, use the following lists as well as the preceding "Numbers" section.
Months
| English | Portuguese |
| January | janeiro |
| February | fevereiro |
| March | março |
| April | abril |
| May | maio |
| June | junho |
| July | julho |
| August | agosto |
| September | setembro |
| October | outubro |
| November | novembro |
| December | dezembro |
Days of the Week
| English | Portuguese |
| Sunday | domingo |
| Monday | segunda-feira |
| Tuesday | terça-feira |
| Wednesday | quarta-feira |
| Thursday | quinta-feira |
| Friday | sexta-feira |
| Saturday | sábado |
General Word List
This general word list includes words commonly found in genealogical sources. Numbers, months, and days of the week are listed both here and in separate sections prior to this list.
In cases where significant spelling variations between old and modern Portuguese affect alphabetical order, words are listed twice (for example, batismo and baptismo). Optional versions of Portuguese words or variable endings (such as feminine endings) are given in parentheses. Parentheses in the English column clarify the definition.
A
| a a à abaixo-assinado abcesso abril acordo acougueiro acre acta açúcar administração adotado (a) adultério adúltero (a) advogado (a) afogamento agosto ainda alcunha além alemão (a) alfaiate algodão algum (a) ali alma alto (a) altura aluguél amanhã amarelo (a) ambos (as) amigo (a) ancestral aniversário anjo ano antepassado (a) anterior antes antigo (a) anual anuário ao aparecer apelido apenas apêndice após aposentado (a) aposentadoria apostólico (a) aprendiz aproximado (a) aquele (a) aqui arquibispo arquivo arroz artífice árvore árvore genealógica ascendente às horas asilo asma assento assinatura ata atrás auto de fé avô avó avôs azul |
the (feminine) to, toward to the, toward the (feminine) undersigned abscess April agreement butcher acre record, document sugar administration adopted adultery adulterer lawyer drowning August still name beyond German tailor cotton some there soul, person high height rent tomorrow yellow both friend ancestor anniversary, birthday angel, deceased child year ancestor former, previous before old, ancient annual yearbook to the (masculine) to appear name, nickname only appendix after retired retirement apostolic apprentice approximate that here archbishop archive rice journeyman tree genealogical tree ancestor at o'clock asylum, poorhouse asthma record, entry signature record, document behind, in back of trial of faith, sentence handed down by the Inquisition grandfather grandmother grandparents blue |
B
| baía baixo (a) baptismo baptizar barão barco batismo batizar bem bênção biblioteca bisavô bisavó bisavôs bisneta bisneto bisnetos bispado bispo boca boda boieiro bom (oa) bosque braço branco (a) |
bay low baptism to baptize baron boat baptism to baptize good, well blessing library great-grandfather great-grandmother great-grandparents great-granddaughter great-grandson great-grandchildren bishopric bishop mouth wedding, marriage herdsman good grove, forest, woods arm white |
C
| cabeça caçador cadastro cadeia café cafezal campo camponês (a) cana de açúcar câncer capela cara carpinteiro cartório casa casado (a) casamento casar-se castelo catedral católico (a) cavalheiro cedo cego (a) cem cemitério censo centenário cento cerca certidão cervejeiro cidadão (ã) cidade cinco cinqüenta clérigo clero colheita colina colônia comerciante como comunhão concelho concernente conde conhecido (a) conhecido (a) como cônjuge cônjuges consangüinidade consorte constipação consunção conta conteúdo contra contraente conversão convulsão coqueluche cordoeiro corrente corte cortiça cova coxo (a) criada criança cristão (ã) cujo (a) cunhado (a) cura curato cúria curtidor |
head hunter land census jail coffee coffee plantation field, plain peasant, small farmer sugarcane cancer chapel face carpenter archive house married marriage to marry castle cathedral Catholic gentleman, knight, nobleman early blind one hundred cemetery census centennial one hundred near, approximate certificate brewer citizen city five fifty clergyman clergy harvest hill colony merchant as, how communion council, counsel concerning count, earl known, acquaintance known as spouse partners, couple blood relationship, kinship spouse, partner constipation consumption account, bill contents against contracting party in a marriage conversion convulsion whooping cough rope maker current court cork grave lame maid child Christian whose brother-in-law, sister-in-law clergyman parish religious tribunal tanner |
D
| da daquele (a) data de década décimo décimo nono décimo oitavo décimo primeiro décimo quarto décimo quinto décimo segundo décimo sétimo décimo sexto décimo terceiro declaração declarado (a) dedo defunto (a) dele (a) dente dentição dentro denúncia depois derrame derrame cerebral descendente desconhecido (a) descrição desde desobriga desquitado (a) desquite desse (a) deste (a) dez dezembro dezenove dezesseis dezessete dezoito diário diarréia dicionário digno (a) digo diocese direito direito disenteria dispensa disputa disso distrito distrito de paz dito (a) divorciado (a) dízimo do doação documento doença dois doméstica domicílio domingo dono (a) doze duque duquesa duzentos |
of the (feminine) of that date from, of, belonging to decade tenth nineteenth eighteenth eleventh fourteenth fifteenth twelfth seventeenth sixteenth thirteenth declaration declared, stated finger deceased his, hers, its tooth teething within accusation, complaint after seizure, stroke stroke descendant unknown description since exemption from legally separated legal separation of that of this ten December nineteen sixteen seventeen eighteen daily, diary diarrhea dictionary worthy that is, I mean to say diocese law right, privilege dysentery exemption, permission disagreement of this district peace district stated, said, mentioned divorced tithing, donation of the (masculine) donation document disease two domestic, maid dwelling Sunday owner, master twelve duke duchess two hundred |
E
| e é eclesiástico (a) ela ele eles (as) em em face da igreja emigração emigrante empregada empregado (a) empresa enfermidade engenho enteado (a) enterrado (a) enterro entre epidemia epilepsia era eram éramos escarlatina escola escravidão escravo (a) escrevente escudo de armas esmola espanhol (a) esposo (a) esse (a) está estação estado estamos estância estão estar este este (a) estômago estou estrada estrangeiro (a) eu evangélico (a) exército exposto (a) extrato extrema unção |
and you are, he/she/it is ecclesiastical she he they in before the church, full church marriage emigration emigrant maid employee business disease sugar plantation, mill stepchild buried burial between, among epidemic, plague epilepsy was, were (they, you) were (we) were scarlet fever school slavery slave scribe coat of arms alms, donation Spanish husband, wife that you are, he/she/it is station, season state, status (we) are ranch, estate (they, you) are to be east this stomach (I) am road foreigner, stranger I evangelical military, army foundling extract last rites |
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V