vovô
/voˈvo/masculine
The Portuguese word for grandpa is vovô.
vovô is an informal masculine noun used to refer to a grandfather.
Meaning: grandfather (informal) (noun)
Which one should you use?
While vovô is the informal way to say grandpa, the standard formal term for grandfather is avô. If you want to refer to a grandma, use the feminine counterpart vovó.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The colloquial and informal term vô is used predominantly in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express extra affection, you can use the diminutive form vovozinho by adding the suffix '-zinho' to vovô.
How do you pronounce it?
/voˈvo/
Did you know?
- The distinction between a male and female grandparent relies entirely on the direction of a single accent mark. A circumflex accent on the second 'o' makes it vovô (grandpa), while an acute accent makes it vovó (grandma).
- The word vovô is a reduplication of vô. This mimics the way babies often repeat syllables when they first learn to speak.
- The difference between the formal avô and the informal vovô is a matter of tone, not just respect. While 'avô' is the standard noun, 'vovô' is a 'baby talk' reduplication used to project warmth and intimacy.
Examples in context
- O vovô me comprou isto.Grandpa bought this for me.This sentence shows how to use vovô to indicate someone bought something.Tatoeba #1632169 by alexmarcelo, translation #1079077 by keira_n
- O vovô gosta de exagerar.Grandpa likes to go overboard.This sentence shows how to use vovô to describe a personality trait.Tatoeba #6216441 by bill, translation #5854982 by AlanF_US
- Vovô, o que está fazendo?Grandpa, what are you doing?This sentence shows how to address vovô directly in a question.Tatoeba #9038736 by carlosalberto, translation #9038734 by carlosalberto
- Olá, avô! Como o senhor está hoje?Hello, grandpa! How are you today?
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Mariana are talking about their family in the living room.
- FelipeO vovô vai vir nos visitar hoje?Is grandpa coming to visit us today?
- MarianaSim, ele chega à tarde.Yes, he arrives in the afternoon.
- FelipeEu quero muito ver o meu vovô.I really want to see my grandpa.
- MarianaEu também, ele é muito engraçado.Me too, he is very funny.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandpa” translations and entries vovô, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vovô, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
