Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bicho | /ˈbi.ʃu/ (Brazil) /ˈbi.ʃu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| bichinho | /biˈʃĩ.ɲu/ (Brazil) /biˈʃi.ɲu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
Bicho is a broad, colloquial term used for various arthropods, creeping creatures or almost any animal or insect. If you are specifically referring to garden pests, you can use praga. To describe a harmful bug, the term inseto nocivo is used. If you are talking about a computer bug, you should use erro or problema.
Which one should you use?
While bicho is a colloquial term for a bug or creature, inseto is the precise, scientific term for an insect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The word bicho is widely used in Brazil and Portugal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Bichinho is the diminutive of bicho. It is used to refer to a small bug or to express affection or cuteness toward a small creature.
How do you pronounce it?
bicho is pronounced /ˈbi.ʃu/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian universities, a bicho is a first-year student who must undergo trote, a series of initiation rituals or hazing rites.
- Portuguese speakers use bicho to describe things that are not animals at all, such as a bicho de sete cabeças, which refers to a problem that is unnecessarily complicated.
- The word bicho actually shares its roots with the English word 'beast', as both derive from the Latin 'bestia'.
Examples in context
- Esse bicho é nojento.That bug is gross.This sentence uses bicho to describe a gross bug.Tatoeba #1773881 by alexmarcelo, translation #2440423 by MethodGT
- Bastou uma aula, para ele ganhar o bichinho pela dança.One lesson was all it took for him to catch the dancing bug.This sentence uses bichinho to describe a metaphoric 'bug' or passion for dancing.
- Existe um inseto no meu quarto.There is a bug in my room.
- Tem um bicho no seu ombro.There's a bug on your shoulder
- Vi um inseto na cozinha.I saw a bug in the kitchen
- Não tenha medo daquele bichinho, é só um inofensivo insetinho.Don't be afraid of that bug, it's just a little harmless bug
- Eu vi um inseto.I saw a bug
- Nós encontramos insetos no jardim.We found bugs in the garden
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are in the garden when they notice something moving.
- GabrielOlha, tem um bicho na sua mão!Look, there is a bug on your hand!
- JulianaAi, que susto! É um bicho pequeno?Oh, you scared me! Is it a small bug?
- GabrielSim, é só um bicho verde.Yes, it is just a green bug.
- JulianaAinda bem que ele não me mordeu.Good thing it didn't bite me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bug” translations and entries bicho, bichinho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bichinho, bicho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
