plástico-bolha
masculine
In Portuguese, bubble wrap is called plástico-bolha.
The term refers to the cushioning material used for protection during packaging.
Meaning: cushioning material (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
This is a compound masculine noun. plástico means plastic and bolha means bubble.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, people often use plástico bolha or the term papel bolha. In Portugal, it is commonly known as plástico com bolinhas or plástico de bolinhas.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the term papel bolha is common, even though the material is not paper. This is because papel is often used generically to describe any thin, flexible wrapping material used in shipping.
- The word bolha also refers to a 'bubble' in a financial or economic sense, such as a 'housing bubble'. A Portuguese speaker talking about bolha could be referring to packaging or a market crash depending on the context.
- The word bolinha used in many regional descriptions is the diminutive form of bolha, meaning 'little bubble'.
Examples in context
- Poderia por favor embalar esse objeto com plástico bolha?Could you please wrap this object with bubble wrap?
- Use o plástico-bolha para proteger o vaso.Use the bubble wrap to protect the vase.
- Eu preciso de plástico-bolha para este pacote.I need bubble wrap for this package.
- O plástico-bolha está na caixa de papelão.The bubble wrap is in the cardboard box.
- Use o plástico-bolha para proteger o vidro.Use the bubble wrap to protect the glass.
Example conversation
Lucas and Beatriz are preparing to move to a new house.
- LucasBeatriz, você viu o plástico-bolha?Beatriz, did you see the bubble wrap?
- BeatrizEstá guardado no armário da cozinha, Lucas.It is stored in the kitchen cupboard, Lucas.
- LucasÓtimo, vou embalar os pratos agora.Great, I am going to wrap the plates now.
- BeatrizNão esqueça de usar bastante plástico-bolha.Don't forget to use plenty of bubble wrap.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bubble wrap” translations and entries plástico-bolha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
