toalha de banho
/tuˈa.ʎɐ d͡ʒi ˈbɐ̃.ɲu/word by wordfeminine
The Portuguese phrase for bath towel is toalha de banho. Wiktionary also lists lençol de banho.
Meaning: towel for drying the body (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| toalha de banho | /tuˈa.ʎɐ d͡ʒi ˈbɐ̃.ɲu/ (Brazil, word by word) | feminine |
| lençol de banho | masculine |
The term refers to a towel used for drying the body. While toalha means towel in general, adding de banho specifies its use for bathing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of toalha (towel) and de banho (of bath).
Which one should you use?
Use toalha de banho for a standard bath towel. In contrast, lençol de banho refers to a bath sheet, which is a larger, sheet-sized towel.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the head noun toalha to toalhas while keeping de banho unchanged, resulting in toalhas de banho.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using lençol de banho when you mean a regular bath towel. This term specifically refers to a larger bath sheet.
Did you know?
- The word toalha comes from a Frankish root meaning 'washcloth'. It is a linguistic cousin to the Italian word tovaglia, which describes a 'tablecloth'.
- While lençol usually means 'bed sheet', in the context of lençol de banho it describes the physical scale of the towel rather than its function as bedding.
Examples in context
- Há apenas uma toalha de banho em nosso banheiro.There's only one bath towel in our bathroom.The first sentence shows how to use toalha de banho when describing the contents of a bathroom.Tatoeba #5080801 by Ricardo14, translation #35407 by CK
- Só tem uma toalha de banho.There is only one bath towel.The second sentence demonstrates a simple way to state the availability of a toalha de banho.Tatoeba #1749504 by franca, translation #539026 by CK
- O hotel oferece toalhas de banho para os hóspedes.The hotel provides bath towels for the guests.
- Pode me emprestar a toalhinha de banho?Can you lend me the bath towel?
- Preciso de uma toalha de banho limpa.I need a clean bath towel.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Lucas are in a hotel room.
- BeatrizLucas, você viu minha toalha de banho?Lucas, did you see my bath towel?
- LucasAcho que deixei no armário.I think I left it in the closet.
- BeatrizNão está lá, só tem uma toalha de banho.It's not there, there is only one bath towel.
- LucasVou pedir uma nova na recepção.I will ask for a new one at the reception.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bath towel” translations and entries toalha de banho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (toalha, de, banho) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries banho, de, lençol, toalha, toalha de banho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
