padrinho
/paˈdɾĩ.ɲu/masculine
The Portuguese word for godfather is padrinho.
padrinho refers to a man present at a child's christening who promises to help raise them in a Christian manner. To specify the religious role of a baptismal godfather, you can use the phrase padrinho de batismo. Colloquially, the term can also refer to a mentor or a person who provides patronage or support in a specific field.
Meaning: man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
Which one should you use?
padrinho is the masculine form used for a man, whereas the feminine form for a godmother is madrinha.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of padrinho is padrinhos.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈdɾĩ.ɲu/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The term padrinho can be used ironically in Portuguese politics to describe 'clientelism', where a powerful figure protects a subordinate.
- While padrinho is the standard term, the word compadre is used by the parents to refer to the godfather, meaning 'co-father'.
- In Portuguese culture, it is common to have multiple padrinhos for a single child, often reflecting the social network of the parents.
Examples in context
- Tom é meu padrinho.Tom is my godfather.This sentence is useful for identifying a person as your padrinho.Tatoeba #11086882 by bill, translation #9241171 by CK
- Eu gosto do meu padrinho.I like my godfather.This sentence is useful for expressing affection for your padrinho.Tatoeba #11086884 by bill, translation #9197424 by CK
- Meu padrinho me deu essa camisa vermelha.My godfather gave me that red shirt.This sentence is useful for describing a gift received from your padrinho.Tatoeba #11086892 by bill, translation #2761953 by mervert1
- O meu padrinho ajudou-me a dar os primeiros passos na vida.My godfather helped me take my first steps in life.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Beatriz are talking about a family baptism.
- RodrigoQuem será o padrinho do bebê?Who will be the baby's godfather?
- BeatrizO seu irmão será o padrinho.Your brother will be the godfather.
- RodrigoEle vai ser um ótimo padrinho.He is going to be a great godfather.
- BeatrizSim, ele é muito responsável.Yes, he is very responsible.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “godfather” translations and entries padrinho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
