elefante
/e.leˈfɐ̃.t͡ʃi/masculine
The English word 'elephant' is elefante in Portuguese. Wiktionary also lists elefanta and aliá.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| elefante | /e.leˈfɐ̃.t͡ʃi/ (Brazil) /i.lɨˈfɐ̃.tɨ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| elefanta | /e.leˈfɐ̃.tɐ/ (Brazil) | feminine |
| aliá | /a.liˈa/ (Brazil) /aˈlja/ (Brazil) |
feminine |
| elefoa | feminine | |
| alifante | masculine |
elefante is the standard term for 'elephant' in Portuguese. To specify an African elephant, you would use elefante africano.
Which one should you use?
While elefante is the standard masculine form used for a male elephant or the species in general, elefanta specifically denotes a female elephant.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the masculine form elefante is elefantes. The plural of the feminine form elefanta is elefantas.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /e.leˈfɐ̃.tʃi/.
Did you know?
- The word aliá is a homonym in Portuguese, as it is also borrowed from Hebrew to describe the immigration of Jews to Israel.
- Portuguese has a rare hybrid word alifante, which blends the Sinhalese root aliá with the Latin root elefante.
- While elefante is the standard term, you might hear the word aliá used to refer to an elephant, which is a direct loanword from Sinhalese.
Examples in context
- O elefante é cinza.The elephant is gray.This sentence shows the color of the elefante.Tatoeba #1254659 by alexmarcelo, translation #11150931 by carlosalberto
- Deus é um elefante.God is an elephant.Tatoeba #12311425 by Covered, translation #12311450 by Adelpa
- Eu tenho um elefante.I have an elephant.This sentence shows possession of an elefante.Tatoeba #4437438 by Jeve, translation #4427135 by newton55
- O elefante africano é conhecido por suas longas presas.The African elephant is known for its long tusks.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are visiting the zoo.
- CamilaOlha que elefante enorme!Look at that huge elephant!
- LucasEle é realmente impressionante.He is truly impressive.
- CamilaO elefante come muita comida.The elephant eats a lot of food.
- LucasSim, eles são animais gigantes.Yes, they are giant animals.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elephant” translations and entries elefante, elefanta, aliá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aliá, elefante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
