joelho
/ʒuˈe.ʎu/masculine
The Portuguese word for knee is joelho.
joelho is a masculine noun used to refer to the joint in the middle of the leg and the area surrounding it.
Meaning: joint in the middle of the leg and area around it (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of joelho is joelhos.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /ʒuˈe.ʎu/.
Did you know?
- The term joelho is used in gastronomy to describe the 'knuckle' or the joint section of a pig's trotter, often served as a delicacy.
- The word joelho evolved from the Late Latin genuculum, which was actually a diminutive form of the word for 'knee'.
- In Portuguese, the phrase de joelhos is used to describe someone praying, begging or being defeated, reflecting a physical act of submission.
Examples in context
- Me dói o joelho.My knee hurts.This sentence is useful for expressing that your joelho is hurting.Tatoeba #13020252 by piterkeo, translation #2751027 by sharptoothed
- Tom esfolou o joelho.Tom skinned his knee.This sentence is useful for describing how Tom skinned his joelho.Tatoeba #7834941 by piterkeo, translation #2646861 by CK
- Raspei o joelho na cerca.I scraped my knee on the fence.This sentence is useful for describing how you scraped your joelho on a fence.Tatoeba #1143301 by alexmarcelo, translation #7954258 by adiante19
- Eu machuquei meu joelho jogando futebol.I hurt my knee playing soccer.
- O médico examinou o joelho do paciente cuidadosamente.The doctor examined the patient's knee carefully.
- A cirurgia será realizada na articulação do joelho.The surgery will be performed on the knee joint.
- É importante cuidar da saúde da articulação do joelho.It is important to take care of the knee joint's health.
- A joelheira ajudou a proteger meu joelho enquanto eu caminhava.The knee brace helped protect my knee while I was walking.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Mariana are talking about his recent sports injury.
- LucasMariana, o meu joelho está doendo muito.Mariana, my knee is hurting a lot.
- MarianaFoi durante o treino de futebol, Lucas?Was it during football practice, Lucas?
- LucasSim, eu caí e bati o joelho.Yes, I fell and hit my knee.
- MarianaVocê deveria ir ao médico, Lucas.You should go to the doctor, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “knee” translations and entries joelho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries joelho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
