sobrinha
/soˈbɾĩ.ɲɐ/feminine
The Portuguese word for niece is sobrinha.
The word sobrinha is used to refer to a niece, specifically the daughter of one's brother or sister.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the term sobrinha-neta can be used to refer to a niece's daughter.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural nieces, add -s to the end to get sobrinhas. If you are referring to a mixed group of nieces and nephews, use the masculine plural form sobrinhos.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /soˈbɾĩ.ɲɐ/.
Did you know?
- The word sobrinha shares the same root as sobrar, which means 'to be left over' or 'to remain'.
- In many Portuguese-speaking cultures, an older person might affectionately call a young woman sobrinha even if there is no biological relation, as a way to show warmth or closeness.
- In certain Brazilian regional dialects, the word sobrinha may be used to describe the child of a first cousin, treating them as a niece rather than a second cousin.
Examples in context
- Ela é a sua sobrinha?Is she your niece?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a person's sobrinha.Tatoeba #8541976 by Ricardo14, translation #9974108 by Nylez
- Mary é minha sobrinha.Mary's my niece.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is a person's sobrinha.Tatoeba #3684850 by ajdavidl, translation #1841597 by CK
- Eu não tenho sobrinha.I don't have a niece.This sentence is useful for stating that a person does not have a sobrinha.Tatoeba #6205928 by bill, translation #2361186 by CK
- A minha sobrinha é uma estudante dedicada.My niece is a dedicated student.
- Parabéns à minha sobrinha pelo aniversário!Congratulations to my niece on her birthday!
- Minha sobrinha é uma mulher muito inteligente e talentosa.My niece is a very intelligent and talented woman.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are talking about their family at a cafe.
- GabrielComo está a sua sobrinha, Juliana?How is your niece, Juliana?
- JulianaEla está muito bem, obrigada!She is doing very well, thanks!
- GabrielQue bom ouvir isso.That is good to hear.
- JulianaEla está crescendo muito rápido.She is growing up very fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “niece” translations and entries sobrinha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
