América
/aˈmɛ.ɾi.kɐ/
In Portuguese, the English phrase "america" is translated as América.
América refers to the landmass consisting of the North and South American continents.
Which one should you use?
While América refers to the entire landmass in Portuguese, Estados Unidos is the standard way to refer specifically to the country known as the United States.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, Estados Unidos da América is the preferred formal expression.
How does it change in a sentence?
América is a feminine noun and is typically preceded by the definite article a when used in a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /aˈmɛ.ɾi.kɐ/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use "America" to mean the USA, but in Portuguese, using América to mean the USA can be seen as geographically imprecise since it refers to the whole continent.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, calling the USA América is not just imprecise but can be perceived as an arrogant erasure of other sovereign nations on the continent.
- The word América is a learned borrowing from New Latin, meaning its spelling and structure in Portuguese follow scholarly academic traditions rather than evolving from common folk speech.
- Because América refers to both continents, calling someone from the USA 'um americano' can be seen as an imprecise geographical error in Portuguese-speaking countries.
Examples in context
- Quero ir à América.I want to go to America.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to travel to América.Tatoeba #912189 by alexmarcelo, translation #253006 by CK
- Foi para a América.He has gone to America.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has gone to América.Tatoeba #948718 by alexmarcelo, translation #288838 by CK
- A América é bonita.America is beautiful.This sentence is useful for describing América as beautiful.Tatoeba #2766631 by Ricardo14, translation #2244899 by CK
- Os Estados Unidos da América são um país poderosoThe United States of America is a powerful country.
- 201 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are talking about geography class.
- GabrielVocê já estudou a história da América?Have you already studied the history of America?
- MarianaSim, eu gosto muito de aprender sobre a América.Yes, I really like learning about America.
- GabrielQual parte da América você acha mais interessante?Which part of America do you find most interesting?
- MarianaEu prefiro a parte sul da América.I prefer the southern part of America.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry América, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries América, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
