senhora
/sẽˈɲɔ.ɾɐ/
The English phrase 'lady' can be translated into Portuguese as senhora.
senhora is a polite way to say lady. It is also used as the standard polite way to say 'Mrs.' or to address a woman formally as 'Ma'am'. In many Portuguese-speaking contexts, a senhora is used as the second-person singular pronoun to address a woman formally, equivalent to 'you' (Ma'am).
Meaning: polite: woman (noun)
Which one should you use?
While senhora is used for married women or women of higher social standing/age, you should use senhorita to refer to a young or unmarried woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of senhora is senhoras.
How do you pronounce it?
The word senhora is pronounced /sẽˈɲɔ.ɾɐ/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In some traditional Brazilian contexts, calling a woman senhora prematurely can be seen as an unintended insult by suggesting she looks old.
- The word senhora is the feminine form of senhor, which can mean 'lord' or 'master' in a religious or feudal context.
- While senhora means 'lady', adding the word dona before a first name creates a unique blend of intimacy and respect, such as Dona Maria.
Examples in context
- Quem é esta senhora?Who is this lady?This sentence is useful for identifying a person using senhora.Tatoeba #1396875 by alexmarcelo, translation #782798 by Manfredo
- A senhora fala turco?Does the lady speak Turkish?This sentence is useful for asking if senhora speaks a specific language.Tatoeba #2064341 by alexmarcelo, translation #2064580 by halfb1t
- A senhora tolerou o homem.The lady tolerated the man.This sentence is useful for describing an action performed by senhora.Tatoeba #11145154 by Advanced, translation #318745 by CM
- A senhora poderia me ajudar, por favor?Could you help me, please, ma'am?
- Dona Maria é uma mulher muito gentil.Mrs. Maria is a very kind woman.
- Moça, você sabe a que horas o ônibus passa por aqui?Miss, do you know what time the bus passes here?
- Aquela moça é minha colega de trabalho.That girl is my coworker.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas is helping Camila find a seat at a formal event.
- LucasA senhora gostaria de sentar aqui?Would you like to sit here, ma'am?
- CamilaSim, muito obrigada, Lucas.Yes, thank you very much, Lucas.
- LucasPor nada, senhora Camila.You are welcome, Ms. Camila.
- CamilaVocê é muito gentil.You are very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry senhora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
