Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dourado | /do(w)ˈɾa.du/ (Brazil) /do(w)ˈɾa.du/ (Portugal) |
|
| de ouro | /d͡ʒi ˈo(w).ɾu/ (Brazil, word by word) | |
| áureo | /ˈaw.ɾju/ (Brazil) /ˈaw.ɾju/ (Portugal) |
|
| doirado | alternative form |
The term is used to describe things that are made of, or relating to, gold.
Which one should you use?
Use de ouro to specify that an object is physically composed of the metal gold. In contrast, use dourado to describe something that has a golden color or a golden sheen, even if it is not made of actual gold.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Áureo is a highly literary or formal term used in poetic or elevated contexts, such as describing a 'golden age' (era áurea). Doirado is an alternative spelling of dourado.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dourado must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: use dourada for feminine nouns, dourados for masculine plural nouns and douradas for feminine plural nouns. The verbs dourar and doirar mean to make golden or like gold.
How do you pronounce it?
The word dourado is pronounced /do(w)ˈɾa.du/ and has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the term dourado is frequently used in cooking to describe the process of browning meat or onions in a pan.
- The word dourado is also the name of a popular South American fish known for its shimmering, metallic scales.
- The formal word áureo is a 'learned borrowing' from Latin, meaning it was consciously reintroduced into the language by scholars rather than evolving naturally from folk speech.
Examples in context
- Vejo a cruz de ouro.I see the golden cross.This sentence demonstrates the use of de ouro to describe an object made of gold.Tatoeba #1915497 by alexmarcelo, translation #2800106 by mervert1
- Qual é a regra de ouro?What's the golden rule?This sentence shows how de ouro is used in the expression 'golden rule'.Tatoeba #4763663 by bill, translation #3737808 by CK
- Tomás é um menino áureo.Tom is a golden boy.This sentence illustrates the use of the formal adjective áureo.Tatoeba #1428063 by alexmarcelo, translation #1413643 by Spamster
- O vestido que ela usava era dourado, brilhando como o sol.The dress she was wearing was golden, shining like the sun.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are looking at jewelry in a shop window.
- GabrielBeatriz, olhe este colar dourado!Beatriz, look at this golden necklace!
- BeatrizÉ lindo, Gabriel, mas é muito caro.It is beautiful, Gabriel, but it is very expensive.
- GabrielO brilho dourado dele é incrível.Its golden shine is incredible.
- BeatrizSim, combina muito com você.Yes, it suits you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “golden” translations and entries dourado, de ouro, áureo, doirado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (de, ouro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
