falecido
The English word 'deceased' can be translated into Portuguese using falecido or morto.
Meaning: no longer alive (adj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| falecido | |
| morto | /ˈmoʁ.tu/ (Brazil) /ˈmoɾ.tu/ (São Paulo) |
The words are used to describe someone who is no longer alive. Falecido can function as an adjective or as a noun meaning 'the deceased'.
Which one should you use?
Morto is the standard, neutral way to say 'dead'. In contrast, falecido is more formal and is often used in respectful contexts such as obituaries or legal matters.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, falecido must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, such as a falecida for a deceased woman. The plural forms for dead people are falecidos and mortos.
Did you know?
- The word morto shares a common ancestor in the Proto-Indo-European root *mer-, making it a distant relative of the English word 'murder'.
- The word falecido comes from the verb falecer, which literally means 'to cease' or 'to come to an end', rather than just 'to die'.
- In Portuguese, morto can describe something that has stopped working or a light that has gone out, and it can even refer to a 'dead' end of a street.
Examples in context
- O morto já está pronto?Is the deceased ready?This sentence is useful for asking if the deceased is ready using morto.Tatoeba #4290169 by carlosalberto, translation #7975915 by adiante19
- O falecido tinha dezoito anos.The deceased was eighteen years old.This sentence is useful for stating the age of the deceased using falecido.Tatoeba #902711 by alexmarcelo, translation #9976799 by Nylez
- Conheço o falecido há muito tempo.I have known the deceased for a long time.This sentence is useful for expressing how long you have known the deceased using falecido.Tatoeba #902729 by alexmarcelo, translation #629072 by Eldad
- O corpo do indivíduo morto foi encontrado ontem.The body of the deceased individual was found yesterday.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are talking about a relative's will.
- MarianaVocê sabe quem ficou com a casa do falecido?Do you know who got the deceased's house?
- LucasAcho que ficou para os filhos.I think it went to the children.
- MarianaO falecido deixou algum testamento?Did the deceased leave a will?
- LucasSim, ele deixou tudo organizado.Yes, he left everything organized.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “deceased” translations and entries falecido, morto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries morto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
