sortudo
/soʁˈtu.du/
The Portuguese word for lucky is sortudo.
Sortudo is an adjective used to describe people who have good fortune. While sortudo describes a person directly, you can also use the phrase ter sorte to say someone is lucky in general situations. If you want to say someone has the luck to do something, use ter a sorte de. There is also an idiomatic expression, ter um pé de coelho, which literally means to have a rabbit's foot but implies being lucky.
Meaning: of people, having good fortune (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective sortudo is derived from the noun sorte, which means luck.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the phrase dar sorte is used to mean to bring luck.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes to agree with the subject: sortuda is the feminine singular form, sortudos is the masculine plural form and sortudas is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable: /soʁˈtu.du/.
When do people say it?
To wish someone well, you can say Boa sorte!, which means Good luck!
Did you know?
- In Brazil, if someone is exceptionally lucky, you might hear the slang term pé quente, which literally translates to 'hot foot'.
- The word sorte comes from the Latin 'sors', which referred to a lot or a piece of wood used in drawing lots to decide a winner.
- When wishing Boa sorte!, some Portuguese speakers may avoid saying it directly before a performance to avoid 'jinxing' the event, similar to the English 'Break a leg'.
Examples in context
- Quem é o sortudo?Who's the lucky one?This example is useful for asking who the lucky person is using sortudo.Tatoeba #1396868 by alexmarcelo, translation #1207343 by CM
- Você é o sortudo.You're the lucky one.This example is useful for stating that someone is the lucky one using sortudo.Tatoeba #5236007 by ToinhoAlam, translation #3166049 by CK
- Eu não era sortudo.I wasn't lucky.This example is useful for expressing that one was not lucky in the past using sortudo.Tatoeba #3436078 by Ricardo14, translation #3330353 by CK
- Ele tem sorte na vidaHe is lucky in life
- Tive a sorte de viajar pelo mundoI had the luck to travel the world
- Ele é de sorte, sempre ganha nos jogosHe is lucky, he always wins at games
- Ele tem um pé de coelho, tudo dá certo para eleHe has a rabbit's foot, everything goes well for him
- A camiseta amarela sempre me dá sorteThe yellow shirt always brings me luck
- Você é muito sortudoYou are very lucky
- Ela teve a sorte de conseguir o emprego dos sonhos.She was lucky to get the job of her dreams.
- Estou de sorte hoje, ganhei na loteria.I am lucky today, I won the lottery.
- Essa música sempre me dá sorte nos exames.This song always brings me luck in exams.
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Mariana are talking about a lottery winner.
- RodrigoVocê viu quem ganhou o prêmio?Did you see who won the prize?
- MarianaVi sim, ele é muito sortudo!I did, he is very lucky!
- RodrigoEu queria ser sortudo assim.I wish I were lucky like that.
- MarianaQuem sabe um dia você seja.Who knows, maybe one day you will be.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lucky” translations and entries sortudo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sortudo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
