irmão
/iʁˈmɐ̃w̃/masculine
The Portuguese word for brother is irmão.
The term irmão is the standard noun used to refer to a male sibling.
Meaning: male sibling (noun)
Which one should you use?
While irmão is the standard term, you may encounter mano as a slang term for 'bro' or 'brother' among friends and maninho is an affectionate shortening of that term.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mano is an informal slang term and maninho is an informal, affectionate version used to express closeness.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The informal term mano is commonly used in Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form for sister is irmã. The plural form, irmãos, can mean specifically 'brothers' or it can be used as a collective term for a mixed-gender group of siblings.
How do you pronounce it?
/iʁˈmɐ̃w̃/
Did you know?
- The word irmão shares a common ancestor with the English word 'germ', because both stem from a root meaning 'seed' or 'sprout'.
- Portuguese has a 'learned' version of the word, germano, which is used in technical or formal contexts to describe full siblings who share both parents.
- The term maninho is often used not just for a younger brother, but as a way to speak in a very condescending or overly sweet way to anyone.
Examples in context
- É o meu irmão.He is my brother.The first sentence is useful for identifying a brother with the word irmão.Tatoeba #7803038 by Ricardo14, translation #250680 by CK
- Tom é teu irmão.Tom is your brother.The second sentence shows how to use irmão when talking about someone else's brother.Tatoeba #4258426 by ajdavidl, translation #2273644 by CK
- Ali é meu irmão.Ali is my brother.The third sentence demonstrates the use of irmão in a simple identification sentence.Tatoeba #4923314 by carlosalberto, translation #566755 by zaman_rasikh
- E aí, mano? Como você está?Hey, bro? How are you?
- O que é que se passa, bro? Vamos sair juntos?What's up, bro? Let's go out together?
- 782 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are talking about their family.
- BeatrizVocê tem um irmão?Do you have a brother?
- GabrielSim, tenho um irmão mais novo.Yes, I have a younger brother.
- BeatrizO seu irmão mora aqui?Does your brother live here?
- GabrielNão, ele mora em outra cidade.No, he lives in another city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “brother” translations and entries irmão, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries irmão, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
