Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| brasileño | /bɾasiˈleɲo/ | masculine |
| brasilero | /bɾasiˈleɾo/ | masculine |
The word is used to refer to a person from Brazil or to describe something pertaining to Brazil. It can function as both a noun and an adjective.
Which one should you use?
While both terms are correct, brasileño is the standard form, whereas brasilero is more colloquial.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
brasileño is the standard, while brasilero is an informal, colloquial variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variation brasilero (and its feminine form brasilera) is an informal version used particularly in some Latin American countries, such as Argentina.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes form to match gender and number: brasileño is the masculine singular, brasileña is the feminine singular, brasileños is the masculine plural and brasileñas is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɾasiˈleɲo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid spelling the word with a 'z' as brazileño. In Spanish, the correct spelling uses an 's' for brasileño.
Did you know?
- The variation brasilero is actually a calque of the Portuguese word brasileiro, the language spoken in Brazil.
- The word brasilero uses the suffix -ero, which in Spanish is typically used for professions, such as panadero for 'baker'.
- Depending on the region, using brasilero instead of brasileño can signal that the speaker is from the Southern Cone of South America.
Examples in context
- El autor es brasileño.The author is Brazilian.This sentence is useful for identifying the nationality of an author using brasileño.Tatoeba #688989 by Shishir, translation #703117 by papabear
- Soy brasileño, ¿y usted?I'm Brazilian, and you?This sentence is useful for stating your own nationality using brasileño.Tatoeba #13612369 by Seael, translation #9871910 by Ricardo14
- Ella y yo somos brasileños.She and I are Brazilian.This sentence is useful for describing a group of people using the masculine plural form brasileños.Tatoeba #1547926 by marcelostockle, translation #882725 by CM
- Soy brasileñoI am Brazilian
- Ella es brasileñaShe is Brazilian
- Es de BrasilHe/She is from Brazil
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about a new coworker at the office.
- Mateo¿Es brasileño el nuevo empleado?Is the new employee Brazilian?
- ElenaSí, él es brasileño.Yes, he is Brazilian.
- MateoQué bien, espero que sea amable.That's great, I hope he is kind.
- ElenaSeguro que sí, Mateo.Surely he will be, Mateo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brazilian” translations and entries brasileño, brasilero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries brasilero, brasileño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
