caverna
/kaˈvɛʁ.nɐ/feminine
The English word "cave" is translated into Portuguese as caverna. Wiktionary also lists gruta.
Meaning: large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| caverna | /kaˈvɛʁ.nɐ/ (Brazil) /kaˈvɛɾ.nɐ/ (São Paulo) |
feminine |
| gruta | /ˈɡɾu.tɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈɡɾu.tɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
The term is used to describe a large, naturally occurring cavity formed underground. You may see the phrase exploração de cavernas for "cave exploration" or cavernas famosas for "famous caves".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the term toca is used in some regions to refer to a smaller cave or burrow.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word caverna is a feminine noun. Its plural form is cavernas.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kaˈvɛʁ.nɐ/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian Portuguese, caverna is often used metaphorically to describe a bedroom where someone spends all their time in isolation.
- The word gruta entered the Portuguese language through Catalan, rather than directly from Latin.
- The term gruta often carries a more poetic or aesthetic connotation in Portuguese, frequently used to describe decorative garden grottos or scenic spots.
Examples in context
- Ela explorou a cavernaShe explored the cave.This sentence is useful for using the word caverna.Tatoeba #12629549 by Gotana, translation #11879986 by Amastan
- Tom encontrou a caverna?Did Tom find the cave?Tatoeba #8245865 by josivangoncalves, translation #8241083 by CK
- É escuro dentro da caverna.It's pitch black inside the cave.Tatoeba #7993681 by Ricardo14, translation #3170716 by CK
- 64 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are hiking in the mountains.
- BeatrizOlha, Felipe! Aquela é a entrada da caverna.Look, Felipe! That is the cave entrance.
- FelipeNossa, parece ser muito profunda.Wow, it looks very deep.
- BeatrizVamos entrar na caverna para ver?Shall we go into the cave to see?
- FelipeSim, mas precisamos de lanternas.Yes, but we need flashlights.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cave” translations and entries caverna, gruta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caverna, gruta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
