frango
/ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu/masculine
The Portuguese word for chicken is frango. Wiktionary also lists galinha.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| frango | /ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu/ (Brazil) /ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| galinha | /ɡaˈlĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) /ɡaˈʎĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) |
feminine |
In Portuguese, the term used depends on whether you are talking about the animal or the meat. Use frango when referring to chicken as food or meat. Common culinary preparations include frango assado (roast chicken), frango grelhado (grilled chicken), frango à parmegiana (chicken Parmesan) and frango à passarinho (fried chicken bites).
Which one should you use?
Use galinha when referring to the living animal, specifically a hen.
How does it change in a sentence?
frango is a masculine noun and galinha is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈfɾɐ̃.ɡu/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- While frango refers to the meat, calling a person a frango is a common slang term for someone who is physically weak or lacks muscular strength.
- The word galinha is used as a slang term for a woman who is perceived as being promiscuous, much like the English term 'slut' or 'floozy'.
- The word frango may have originated from the Latin word fringilla, meaning 'small bird', though the exact linguistic path is considered irregular by historians.
Examples in context
- O frango está cru.The chicken is raw.This sentence is useful for describing the state of the meat using frango.Tatoeba #4115933 by alexmarcelo, translation #4104550 by Hybrid
- Eu gosto de frango.I like chicken.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for the meat using frango.Tatoeba #1221731 by alexmarcelo, translation #3651741 by furoraceltica
- Ela pegou o frango.She caught the chicken.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving the animal using frango.Tatoeba #1690060 by alexmarcelo, translation #1690046 by Spamster
- Eu gostaria de um prato com frango, por favor.I would like a dish with chicken, please.
- Vamos fazer uma sopa de galinha!Let's make chicken soup!
- Você quer um pedaço de franguinho assado?Do you want a piece of roasted chicken?
- 102 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Mariana are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- LucasO que vamos comer hoje, Mariana?What are we going to eat today, Mariana?
- MarianaEu comprei frango para o jantar.I bought chicken for dinner.
- LucasÓtimo, podemos fazer frango assado.Great, we can make roasted chicken.
- MarianaCombinado, vou preparar tudo agora.Agreed, I will prepare everything now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken” translations and entries frango, galinha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frango, galinha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
