cadeira
/kaˈde(j).ɾɐ/feminine
The Portuguese word for "chair" is cadeira.
cadeira refers to the piece of furniture used for sitting. If you want to express the action of acting as a chairperson, you would use the verbs comandar or dirigir.
Meaning: furniture (noun)
Which one should you use?
The diminutive cadeirinha specifically refers to a smaller or child-sized chair.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the phrase cadeira de balanço is used to refer to a rocking chair.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
cadeira is a feminine noun. Because of this, it is preceded by the feminine definite article a (as in a cadeira) rather than the masculine o. To make the word plural, change it to cadeiras.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables with the stress on the second syllable: /kaˈde(j).ɾɐ/.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, cadeira can refer to a specific department or a course of study within a university curriculum.
- The word cadeira is a linguistic relative of the English word 'cathedral', as both trace back to the Latin 'cathedra' meaning a high seat or throne.
- In a professional or parliamentary context, cadeira can mean a seat in government or a specific elected office.
Examples in context
- Esta cadeira é leve.This chair is light.This sentence uses cadeira to describe a chair's weight.Tatoeba #1604844 by alexmarcelo, translation #463266 by lukaszpp
- Eu fiz essa cadeira.I made this chair.This sentence uses cadeira to indicate an object that was made.Tatoeba #2852436 by MarlonX19, translation #1572959 by fanty
- Tom caiu da cadeira.Tom fell off his chair.This sentence uses cadeira to describe an action involving falling from a chair.Tatoeba #5072739 by bill, translation #2335909 by CK
- Por favor, tenha a gentileza de me trazer uma cadeira para a reunião.Please, be kind enough to bring me a chair for the meeting.
- Vamos nos sentar nas poltronas e assistir a esse filme juntos!Let's sit in the armchairs and watch this movie together!
- 179 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are arranging furniture in a living room.
- JulianaFelipe, onde eu coloco esta cadeira?Felipe, where do I put this chair?
- FelipeColoque a cadeira perto da mesa.Put the chair near the table.
- JulianaA cadeira ficou boa aqui?Does the chair look good here?
- FelipeSim, ficou ótima.Yes, it looks great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chair” translations and entries cadeira, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cadeira, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
