médico
/ˈmɛ.d͡ʒi.ku/
The Portuguese word for doctor is médico.
médico is used to describe the professional occupation of a person qualified to treat the ill.
Which one should you use?
While médico refers to the actual profession, doutor is often used as a formal title or honorific when addressing a doctor directly in conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, médico can be used in both formal and informal situations, while Doutor is more commonly used in formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes its ending to médica to refer to a female doctor.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈmɛ.dʒi.ku/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, you might hear people call lawyers, professors, or even people with PhDs doutor or doutora, even if they are not medical doctors.
- The word médico shares a common ancestor with the English word 'medicine', both tracing back to the Latin 'medicus'.
- While doutor is a common respectful title, using it for a medical doctor in a very casual setting in Portugal might actually feel slightly too formal or even old-fashioned.
Examples in context
- Você é o médico.You're the doctor.This sentence shows how to identify someone as the doctor using médico.Tatoeba #2682395 by MarlonX19, translation #2218425 by CK
- É um bom médico.He is a good doctor.This sentence uses médico to describe the quality of a doctor.Tatoeba #3227132 by carlosalberto, translation #304039 by CK
- Você é o médico?Are you the doctor?This sentence uses médico to ask if someone is the doctor.Tatoeba #4384788 by ajdavidl, translation #2548878 by CK
- O médico irá te atender em breveThe doctor will attend to you shortly
- Doutora, estou com alguns sintomas preocupantesDoctor, I am experiencing some concerning symptoms
- Procure um médico especialista em cardiologiaLook for a doctor specializing in cardiology
- Oi, Doutor! Como posso melhorar minha saúde?Hi, Doctor! How can I improve my health?
- Preciso marcar uma consulta com o médicoI need to schedule an appointment with the doctor
- O Doutorzinho irá cuidar de vocêThe little doctor will take care of you
- 535 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Camila are talking about a clinic appointment.
- LucasO médico está livre agora?Is the doctor free now?
- CamilaSim, o médico pode atender você.Yes, the doctor can see you.
- LucasÓtimo, eu preciso falar com o médico.Great, I need to speak with the doctor.
- CamilaPode entrar, Lucas.You can go in, Lucas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry médico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries médico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
