bolo
/ˈbo.lu/masculine
The Portuguese word for cake is bolo.
bolo refers to a type of sweet dessert. When you want to specify a particular kind of cake, Portuguese uses the structure bolo de [noun], such as bolo de aniversário for birthday cake.
Meaning: type of sweet dessert (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
bolo is a masculine noun. Its plural form is bolos. Because it is masculine, when combining the preposition de (of) with the definite article o (the), you must use the contraction do bolo (of the cake).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈbo.lu/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While bolo refers to a cake, the word bolinho is often used to describe small, savory snacks or tiny cakes, which can lead to confusion about whether a dish is sweet or salty.
- In some regions of Portugal, bolo can refer to a type of savory corn bread, showing that the word is not exclusively reserved for sweet desserts.
- While bolo usually means cake, in some contexts it can refer to a lump of something, such as bolo de terra for a clod of earth.
Examples in context
- É um bom bolo.It is a good cake.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of the bolo.Tatoeba #1322815 by alexmarcelo, translation #707874 by KasperNymand
- Eu gosto de bolo.I like cake.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for bolo.Tatoeba #1322737 by alexmarcelo, translation #253417 by CK
- Eu quero um bolo.I want a cake.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire for a bolo.Tatoeba #5205815 by ajdavidl, translation #3825950 by CK
- Vou comprar alguns bolinhos de chocolate.I'm going to buy some chocolate cupcakes.
- Nós devemos comprar um bolo para a festa.We should buy a cake for the party.
- 390 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Juliana are sharing a snack at home.
- LucasJuliana, você quer um pouco de bolo?Juliana, do you want some cake?
- JulianaSim, eu adoraria um pedaço.Yes, I would love a piece.
- LucasEste bolo é de cenoura.This cake is carrot cake.
- JulianaQue delícia, Lucas!How delicious, Lucas!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cake” translations and entries bolo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
