mono
/ˈmõ.nu/
The Portuguese word mono means mono.
Meaning: having only a single audio channel (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, it is transcribed as /ˈmõ.nu/.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, the word mono also means 'monkey'. This can lead to confusing sentences where a speaker is discussing audio equipment but sounds like they are talking about animals.
- While mono is used for audio, the concept of 'single' in Portuguese is often expressed through the prefix mono- in terms like monotonia, describing a boring lack of variety.
- The word mono is likely borrowed from or related to the Spanish word mono.
Examples in context
- Eu nunca tinha estado num estúdio de gravação. Na altura, não havia estéreo. Era tudo mono.I had never been in a recording studio. At that time, we didn't have stereo. Everything was mono.This sentence describes a situation where everything was mono because stereo was not yet available.Tatoeba #12071340 by Cangarejo, translation #12071337 by Cangarejo
- Este rádio antigo só toca em mono.This old radio only plays in mono.
- O som da gravação está mono e sem profundidade.The recording sound is mono and lacks depth.
Example conversation
Felipe is trying to fix an old sound system in the living room.
- CamilaFelipe, por que o som está tão estranho?Felipe, why does the sound sound so strange?
- FelipeÉ porque este sistema é mono, Camila.It is because this system is mono, Camila.
- CamilaEu prefiro quando a música é estéreo.I prefer it when the music is stereo.
- FelipeEu sei, mas vamos tentar consertar.I know, but let's try to fix it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mono, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mono, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
