Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| velho | /ˈvɛ.ʎu/ (Brazil) /ˈvɛ.ʎu/ (Portugal) |
| idoso | /iˈdo.zu/ (Brazil) /iˈdo.zu/ (Portugal) |
velho is used to describe living beings that have lived for many years, but it is also the standard word for describing old inanimate objects or animals. When referring to a person's age in years, the word anos is used.
Which one should you use?
While velho is the standard term, idoso is used specifically to mean "elderly" and is considered more polite when referring to people.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term coroa is specific to Brazilian Portuguese slang.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: velha is the feminine singular form, velhos is the masculine plural or mixed-gender plural form and velhas is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of velho is /ˈvɛ.ʎu/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, calling someone a coroa is a slangy way to refer to an older person, much like calling someone a 'silver fox' or a 'gray hair' in English. It literally translates to 'crown' but functions as a colloquial noun for an adult.
- The word velho is a direct descendant of the Latin vetulus, which is a diminutive form. This means the word's historical roots actually imply being 'little old' or 'small old' rather than just 'old'.
- While idoso is a polite way to say 'elderly', in many formal documents or news reports, you will see the term terceira idade used instead. This translates to 'the third age', a common euphemism for the senior years.
Examples in context
- O Tom é velho.Tom is old.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is old using velho.Tatoeba #2796244 by alexmarcelo, translation #2203138 by CK
- O gato é velho.The cat is old.This sentence is useful for describing a cat as old using velho.Tatoeba #12348846 by piterkeo, translation #2508848 by alvations
- O homem é velho.The man is old.This sentence is useful for describing a man as old using velho.Tatoeba #1567942 by alexmarcelo, translation #1174867 by CK
- A igreja é antiga.The church is old.
- Esse livro é muito antigo.This book is very old.
- A era antiga é fascinante.The ancient era is fascinating.
- Meu avô é um homem velho.My grandfather is an old man.
- A senhora parece ser velha.The lady seems to be old.
- Essa fotografia parece estar envelhecida.This photograph seems to be aged.
- Os móveis estão envelhecidos, mas ainda são bonitos.The furniture is aged, but still beautiful.
- A velhota é simpática e bem-humorada.The old woman is nice and humorous.
- Aquele senhor é um coroa muito ativo.That man is a very active middle-aged person.
- Ele tem cinquenta anosHe is fifty years old.
- 490 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Mariana are talking about their pets at home.
- RodrigoO seu cachorro é muito velho?Is your dog very old?
- MarianaSim, ele é um cachorro velho.Yes, he is an old dog.
- RodrigoEle ainda corre bastante?Does he still run a lot?
- MarianaEle corre, mas devagar.He runs, but slowly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “old” translations and entries velho, idoso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries idoso, velho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
