estrada principal
/isˈtɾa.dɐ pɾĩ.siˈpaw/word by word
The English phrase 'main road' is translated into Portuguese as estrada principal.
The term refers to a major road in a town, village etc.
Meaning: major road in a town, village etc. (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use estrada principal if you are referring to a major road or highway connecting locations. If you are referring to the main street within a city or town, use rua principal instead.
Did you know?
- While estrada principal describes the road, the term estrada real refers to the 'Royal Roads' built during the colonial era to connect the coast to the interior.
- In Brazil, people often use the word rodovia to refer to a major, significant road, whereas estrada can sound more general or even rustic.
- The word estrada shares a common ancestor with the English word 'street', both deriving from the Latin word for a paved surface.
Examples in context
- Onde fica a estrada principal?Where is the main road?
- Pode me indicar a avenida principal?Can you show me the main road?
- Sabe onde fica a rua principal?Do you know where the main road is?
- Qual é o caminho principal para o centro da cidade?What is the main road to the city center?
- Você pode me indicar a estrada principal?Can you show me the main road, please?
- Desculpe, poderia me dizer onde fica a avenida principal?Sorry, could you tell me where the main road is located?
- Siga pela estrada principal até o cruzamento.Go along the main road until the intersection.
- A estrada principal liga as duas cidades.The main road connects the two cities.
- Vire à esquerda na estrada principal.Turn left on the main road.
- Há muito trânsito na estrada principal hoje.There is a lot of traffic on the main road today.
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Camila are driving through a small town.
- CamilaRodrigo, onde fica o hotel?Rodrigo, where is the hotel?
- RodrigoDeve ser ao longo da estrada principal.It should be along the main road.
- CamilaVocê tem certeza disso?Are you sure about that?
- RodrigoSim, eu vi a placa da estrada principal.Yes, I saw the main road sign.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (estrada, principal) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries estrada, principal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
