cabaça
/kaˈba.sɐ/feminine
The English word gourd is cabaça in Portuguese. Wiktionary also lists cuia.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cabaça | /kaˈba.sɐ/ (Brazil) /kɐˈba.sɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| cuia | /ˈkuj.ɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈkuj.ɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
cabaça refers to the botanical fruit of a gourd.
Which one should you use?
While cabaça refers to the botanical fruit itself, cuia is the term used when the gourd has been hollowed out to be used as a drinking vessel or bowl.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of cabaça is cabaças and the plural of cuia is cuias.
How do you pronounce it?
The word cabaça is pronounced /kaˈba.sɐ/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
When do people say it?
In Southern Brazil, cuia specifically refers to the traditional vessel used to drink chimarrão (yerba mate).
Did you know?
- In Brazilian Portuguese, calling someone a cabaça is a slang way to say they are empty-headed or foolish.
- While cabaça has Latin roots, the term cuia is a linguistic relic of the indigenous Tupi people of Brazil.
- The word cabaça is a close linguistic cousin to the English word 'calabash'.
Examples in context
- Um cultivador em Rhode Island arrasou o recorde de uma abóbora gigante do próprio filho com uma cabaça a pesar 1.026 quilogramas (2.261 libras).A grower in Rhode Island has smashed his own son's giant pumpkin record with a gourd weighing 1,026 kilograms (2,261 pounds).This sentence shows the use of cabaça to describe a very heavy gourd.Tatoeba #11048468 by Cangarejo, translation #11048466 by Cangarejo
- Pode me emprestar a cuia?Can you lend me the gourd?
- A cabaça está seca e pronta para uso.The gourd is dry and ready for use.
- Nós encontramos uma cabaça no jardim.We found a gourd in the garden.
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe are looking at decorative items in a garden shop.
- BeatrizFelipe, olhe esta cabaça decorativa.Felipe, look at this decorative gourd.
- FelipeEla é muito bonita, Beatriz.It is very beautiful, Beatriz.
- BeatrizVocê acha que combina com a sala?Do you think it matches the living room?
- FelipeSim, a cabaça ficaria ótima lá.Yes, the gourd would look great there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gourd” translations and entries cabaça, cuia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cabaça, cuia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
