macaco
/maˈka.ku/masculine
The English word 'monkey' is translated into Portuguese as macaco. Wiktionary also lists símio and mono.
Meaning: primate (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| macaco | /maˈka.ku/ (Brazil) /mɐˈka.ku/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| símio | /ˈsĩ.mju/ (Brazil) /ˈsi.mju/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| mono | /ˈmõ.nu/ (Brazil) /ˈmo.nu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
The primary way to refer to the animal is through the noun macaco. It is important to note that in many Portuguese-speaking contexts, using macaco to refer to a person is a highly offensive racial slur.
Which one should you use?
While macaco is the standard term for a monkey, símio is used when you want to refer more specifically to an anthropoid or simian, often in a technical sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, macaco is the most commonly used word for the animal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of macaco is macacos.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables with the stress on the second syllable: /maˈka.ku/.
Did you know?
- The word macaco is also used as a term for a car jack in Portuguese.
- The word macaco may have passed through dialectal French as 'macao', which was used in Normandy to mean a 'long-tailed monkey' or even a 'cat'.
- The word mono can also be used to refer to a monkey, though its origin is likely linked to Spanish.
Examples in context
- É carne de macaco.It's monkey meat.This sentence shows how to use macaco when referring to meat.Tatoeba #1277276 by alexmarcelo, translation #1117904 by Scott
- Ele parece um macaco.He looks like a monkey.This sentence uses macaco to describe a person's appearance.Tatoeba #4575838 by carlosalberto, translation #1955967 by Spamster
- O macaco quer banana.The monkey wants a banana.This sentence uses macaco to describe an animal's desire.Tatoeba #5016277 by alexmarcelo, translation #5147543 by CarpeLanam
- O macaco pulou de galho em galho no zoológico.The monkey jumped from branch to branch at the zoo.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a zoo looking at the animal enclosures.
- JulianaOlha aquele macaco no topo da árvore!Look at that monkey at the top of the tree!
- RodrigoSim, o macaco é muito ágil.Yes, the monkey is very agile.
- JulianaRodrigo, você viu o tamanho dele?Rodrigo, did you see how big he is?
- RodrigoVi, é um macaco bem grande.I saw, it is a very large monkey.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations and entries macaco, símio, mono, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries macaco, mono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
