Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| acordeão | /a.koʁ.deˈɐ̃w̃/ (Brazil) /a.koɾ.deˈɐ̃w̃/ (São Paulo) |
masculine |
| gaita | /ˈɡaj.tɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈɡaj.tɐ/ (Portugal) |
South Brazil, feminine |
| sanfona | /sɐ̃ˈfõ.nɐ/ (Brazil) /sɐ̃ˈfo.nɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
All forms refer to the small, portable, keyed wind instrument known as an accordion.
Which one should you use?
acordeão is the standard term, while sanfona is a very common informal way to refer to the instrument, especially in musical contexts like Forró. In Southern Brazil, gaita is frequently used instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Brazil, the word gaita is frequently used to refer to the accordion.
How does it change in a sentence?
acordeão is a masculine noun, so you must use masculine articles and adjectives, such as o acordeão or um acordeão novo. Conversely, sanfona is a feminine noun, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives, such as a sanfona or uma sanfona nova.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of acordeão is /a.koʁ.deˈɐ̃w̃/. It has four syllables, with the stress on the fourth syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with the word gaita. In many other parts of Brazil, it specifically refers to a harmonica, even though it refers to the accordion in the South.
Did you know?
- The term gaita may have a surprising connection to goats, potentially stemming from an ancient word for 'goat' because bagpipes were once made from their skin.
- In the South of Brazil, the use of gaita reflects a strong historical influence from German and Italian immigrants.
Examples in context
- Ele sabe tocar acordeão.He knows how to play the accordion.This sentence is useful for describing someone's ability to play the acordeão.Tatoeba #7067342 by iart61, translation #9178535 by Nylez
- O Tom toca acordeão muito bem.Tom plays the accordion quite well.This sentence is useful for expressing how well someone plays the acordeão.Tatoeba #7310216 by Ricardo14, translation #2050616 by CK
- Eles tocavam violão e acordeão.They played guitar and accordion.This sentence is useful for stating which instruments, including the acordeão, were being played.Tatoeba #11284804 by Advanced, translation #4211735 by Hybrid
- O músico estava tocando um acordeão lindo.The musician was playing a beautiful accordion.
- O gaiteiro se apresentou com sua gaita de botões.The accordion player performed with his button accordion.
- A sanfona é um instrumento popular em festas tradicionais.The accordion is a popular instrument at traditional parties.
- Vamos animar a festa com aquela música de gaitinha.Let's liven up the party with that accordion music.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are visiting a music store.
- BeatrizFelipe, olha aquele acordeão ali!Felipe, look at that accordion over there!
- FelipeEle é lindo, mas é muito caro.It is beautiful, but it is very expensive.
- BeatrizVocê gostaria de tocar acordeão algum dia?Would you like to play the accordion someday?
- FelipeSim, eu acho esse instrumento fascinante.Yes, I find that instrument fascinating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “accordion” translations and entries acordeão, gaita, sanfona, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acordeão, gaita, sanfona, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
