idiota
/i.d͡ʒiˈɔ.tɐ/feminine, masculine
The Portuguese word for idiot is idiota.
idiota is used to describe a person of low general intelligence.
Meaning: person of low general intelligence (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word idiota is invariant in gender, meaning it remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To form the plural, add an 's' to the end to get idiotas.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the third syllable: /i.dʒiˈɔ.tɐ/.
Did you know?
- The word idiota originally had nothing to do with intelligence, but rather described a 'private person' or a layman who did not participate in public or political life.
- In many Portuguese-speaking cultures, calling someone an idiota can be seen as much more aggressive and offensive than the English 'idiot', which is often used playfully among friends.
- The phrase fazer de idiota does not mean to be an idiot, but rather to pretend to be one to trick someone or avoid responsibility.
Examples in context
- Ele é um idiota.He is an idiot.This sentence is useful for describing someone using the form idiota.Tatoeba #3701180 by Ricardo14, translation #4987741 by Zurich899
- Você é um idiota!You're such an idiot!This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is an idiot using the form idiota.Tatoeba #988795 by alexmarcelo, translation #984523 by CM
- Que idiota ele é!He's such an idiot!This sentence is useful for emphasizing that someone is an idiot using the form idiota.Tatoeba #1150827 by tulio, translation #12733076 by rul
- O meu irmão sempre faz coisas burras.My brother always does stupid things.
- Não seja bobo, você sabe que isso é uma ideia idiota.Don't be silly, you know that's a stupid idea.
- 93 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Mariana are talking about a clumsy mistake a colleague made.
- RodrigoVocê viu o que ele fez?Did you see what he did?
- MarianaSim, ele foi um idiota agora.Yes, he was an idiot just now.
- RodrigoEu não acredito nisso.I can't believe it.
- MarianaSó um idiota faria isso.Only an idiot would do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “idiot” translations and entries idiota, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idiota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
