pão
/ˈpɐ̃w̃/masculine
The Portuguese word for bread is pão.
The word pão refers to baked dough made from cereals. If you want to describe the action of breading something, you use the related verb panar.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the term pão francês is used most commonly to refer to a baguette or French bread. In parts of Portugal, particularly in the north, the word broa refers specifically to a type of cornbread. In the Azores, specifically on the island of Terceira, malassada refers to a type of fried bread traditionally eaten during Carnival.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of pão is pães.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpɐ̃w̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When pronouncing pão, ensure you nasalize the ão sound. English speakers often make the mistake of pronouncing it as a standard ao instead of a nasalized diphthong.
When do people say it?
In the Azores, specifically on Terceira island, people eat a fried bread called malassada during the Carnival season.
Did you know?
- The word pão shares the same linguistic ancestor as the English word 'food', as both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂- meaning 'to protect' or 'to feed'.
- In Portuguese, the word pão is used in the idiom ganhar o pão, which means to earn a living, similar to the English phrase 'breadwinner'.
- The term pão francês refers to a common, daily roll in Brazil, but the bread is a local invention rather than a product imported from France.
Examples in context
- O pão é fresco.The bread is fresh.This sentence is useful for describing the freshness of the pão.Tatoeba #2421406 by carlosalberto, translation #2412748 by fjrjdk
- Onde está o pão?Where's the bread?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of the pão.Tatoeba #1523910 by rafael8243, translation #1529624 by erikspen
- Ele comeu o pão.He ate the bread.This sentence is useful for describing the action of eating the pão.Tatoeba #1797374 by alexmarcelo, translation #8480559 by CH
- Eu comprei pão na padaria hoje.I bought bread at the bakery today.
- Você poderia me passar o pãozinho, por favor?Could you pass me the small bread roll, please?
- Essa broa é típica da região norte de Portugal.This cornbread is typical of the northern region of Portugal.
- 290 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Gabriel are in the kitchen in the morning.
- JulianaGabriel, você pode comprar pão?Gabriel, can you buy bread?
- GabrielSim, eu vou à padaria agora.Yes, I am going to the bakery now.
- JulianaTraga um pão bem fresquinho para mim.Bring a very fresh bread for me.
- GabrielTudo bem, eu trago para você.All right, I will bring it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries pão, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pão, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
