sereia
/seˈɾej.ɐ/feminine
The Portuguese word for mermaid is sereia.
sereia refers to a mythological woman with a fish’s tail. It can also be used to refer to a siren in a musical or mythological context.
Meaning: mythological woman with a fish’s tail (noun)
Which one should you use?
While sereia is the standard feminine term, you may use the masculine form sereio to refer to a merman. Another term for a merman is tritão.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Amazon region of northern Brazil, the name Iara is sometimes used instead of sereia.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of sereia is sereias.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: /seˈɾej.ɐ/.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the sereia is often associated with the Orishas of Candomblé and Umbanda, particularly the deity Iemanjá, the Queen of the Ocean.
- The word sereia shares its root with the Greek 'Seirḗn', which originally referred to a group of creatures that were part bird and part woman before being depicted as fish.
- The word sereia is commonly used as a slang term in Portuguese to describe a woman who is exceptionally seductive or captivating.
Examples in context
- "A pequena sereia" é o título de um conto de fadas dinamarquês."The Little Mermaid" is the title of a Danish fairy tale.This sentence shows how sereia is used in the title of a fairy tale.Tatoeba #5071123 by ianna, translation #12872531 by rul
- Sereia é um ser vivo com cabeça e tronco de mulher e cauda de peixe.A mermaid is a living being with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish.This sentence provides a biological description of a sereia.Tatoeba #5300294 by carlosalberto, translation #9356981 by Nylez
- A sereia se transformou em espuma.The mermaid turned to foam.This sentence describes a transformation involving a sereia.Tatoeba #13916581 by rul, translation #13739334 by rul
- A sereia é uma figura mitológica presente em muitas culturas ao redor do mundo.The mermaid is a mythological figure present in many cultures around the world.
- A história de Maira, a bela Iara que encanta os pescadores, se espalhou pelos vilarejos locais.The story of Maira, the beautiful Iara who enchants the fishermen, spread across the local villages.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Mariana are looking at a book of myths.
- RodrigoVocê acredita que existe alguma sereia no mar?Do you believe there is any mermaid in the sea?
- MarianaNão, a sereia é apenas uma lenda.No, the mermaid is just a legend.
- RodrigoMas as histórias sobre a sereia são fascinantes.But the stories about the mermaid are fascinating.
- MarianaEu concordo, Mariana gosta muito desse tema.I agree, Mariana likes this theme a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mermaid” translations and entries sereia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sereia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
