Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| abaixo | /aˈbaj.ʃu/ (Brazil) /ɐˈbaj.ʃu/ (Portugal) |
|
| para baixo | /pa.ɾɐ ˈbaj.ʃu/ (Brazil, word by word) | |
| juso | archaic |
In Portuguese, the choice of word depends on whether you are describing a relative position or a direction of movement. abaixo is used to indicate being in a lower position, such as 'below' or 'underneath'. If you want to express the action of lowering or bringing something down, use the verb baixar or use derrubar to mean 'to knock down'. For the sense of 'to swallow' or 'to drink down', the verb engolir is used. If you mean moving from one end to another, you might use por or através de.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase para baixo is composed of the preposition para (to/for) and the noun baixo (low/bottom).
Which one should you use?
abaixo is most frequently used to mean 'below' or 'underneath' in terms of relative position. In contrast, para baixo specifically emphasizes a direction of movement or the act of looking downwards.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using abaixo as a preposition to indicate that one thing is below another, you must follow it with the particle de, forming the phrase abaixo de.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /aˈbaj.ʃu/ with three syllables. The stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian Portuguese, people often use the expression mandar para baixo to mean rejecting an idea or dismissing someone rudely.
- In Portuguese, the word baixo can also mean 'short' when describing a person's height.
- The word baixo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'bass', referring to the low-pitched register in music.
Examples in context
- Ele abaixou a arma.He laid down the gun.This sentence shows the use of the verb form of abaixo to describe laying something down.Tatoeba #1424378 by paula_guisard, translation #299370 by CK
- Não olhe para baixo.Don't look down.This sentence illustrates the use of para baixo to indicate the direction of looking.Tatoeba #2705705 by carlosalberto, translation #1840597 by Amastan
- Não olhe para baixo!Don't look down!This sentence is an emphatic way to use para baixo when telling someone not to look down.Tatoeba #8869252 by carlosalberto, translation #8869249 by carlosalberto
- Eu desço as escadas.I go down the stairs.
- Ela desceu o morro de bicicleta.She rode down the hill on a bicycle.
- Nós descemos do avião.We got off the plane.
- A música está com o volume baixo.The music is playing at a low volume.
- O preço dessa comida é bem baixo.The price of this food is very low.
- 73 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Beatriz are looking at a map of a building.
- RodrigoOnde fica a cafeteria?Where is the cafeteria?
- BeatrizFica um andar abaixo.It is one floor down.
- RodrigoTemos que descer agora?Do we have to go down now?
- BeatrizSim, vamos para baixo.Yes, let's go down.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “down” translations and entries abaixo, para baixo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (para, baixo) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abaixo, baixo, para, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
