avião
/a.viˈɐ̃w̃/masculine
The English word 'airplane' is avião in Portuguese. Wiktionary also lists aeroplano.
Meaning: powered aircraft (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| avião | /a.viˈɐ̃w̃/ (Brazil) /aˈvjɐ̃w̃/ (Brazil) |
masculine |
| aeroplano | /aˌɛ.ɾoˈplɐ̃.nu/ (Brazil) /ɐˌɛ.ɾɔˈplɐ.nu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
The term is used to refer to a powered aircraft.
Which one should you use?
While avião is the standard word for airplane, aeroplano is a more formal or technical term used less frequently in everyday conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the word avião is the most widely used term to refer to an airplane.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of avião is aviões.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /a.viˈɐ̃w̃/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian slang, the word avião can be used to describe a person who is considered extremely physically attractive.
- The word avião was coined by the French pioneer Clément Ader, who based it on the Latin word avis meaning 'bird'.
- The word aeroplano is rarely heard in modern airports, as it has evolved into a word used primarily by historians or in legal texts.
Examples in context
- O avião voa no céu.The airplane flies through the sky.Tatoeba #9453839 by Ricardo14, translation #9149825 by DJ_Saidez
- O avião está pronto.The airplane is ready.Tatoeba #4866905 by Ricardo14, translation #2685512 by fekundulo
- Nunca voei num avião.I've never flown in an airplane.Tatoeba #924725 by alexmarcelo, translation #261428 by CK
- Vi um avião lindo sobrevoando o céu do Rio de Janeiro.I saw a beautiful airplane flying over the skies of Rio de Janeiro.
- 65 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are at the airport looking at the runway.
- BeatrizOlha, aquele avião é enorme!Look, that airplane is huge!
- LucasSim, deve levar muitos passageiros.Yes, it must carry many passengers.
- BeatrizSerá que é o nosso avião?I wonder if it's our airplane?
- LucasNão, o nosso chega mais tarde.No, ours arrives later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “airplane” translations and entries avião, aeroplano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aeroplano, avião, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
