mamão
/maˈmɐ̃w̃/Brazil
The English word papaya is translated into Portuguese as mamão or papaia.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mamão | /maˈmɐ̃w̃/ (Brazil) /mɐˈmɐ̃w̃/ (Portugal) |
Brazil |
| papaia | /paˈpaj.ɐ/ (Brazil) /pɐˈpaj.ɐ/ (Portugal) |
Both terms refer to the fruit known as papaya.
Which one should you use?
In Brazil, the standard term is mamão, whereas in Portugal, papaia is the more common term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, mamão is the standard term, though in parts of the country, especially in the state of Santa Catarina, people often use the phrase mamão formosa to refer to the fruit. In Portugal, papaia is preferred.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mamão is mamões.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈmɐ̃w̃/
Did you know?
- In Brazilian Portuguese, the word mamão can be used in the expression mamão com açúcar, meaning something is incredibly easy.
- The word mamão is built from the word mama, meaning 'breast', because the fruit's shape was thought to resemble one.
- The suffix -ão in mamão is an augmentative, which historically emphasizes the size or shape of the fruit.
Examples in context
- Você gostaria de manga, maçã e mamão?Would you like mango, apples and papaya?This sentence shows how to use mamão in a list of fruits.Tatoeba #4278986 by ajdavidl, translation #910749 by shekitten
- Juntos, Índia e Brasil produzem mais da metade de todo o mamão no mundo.Between them, India and Brazil produce over half the world's papaya.This sentence uses mamão to discuss global production.Tatoeba #7730185 by MacGyver, translation #4728982 by Vanilla
- Só quer mamão? Só quer mel? Acha que é fácil fabricar papel? Vai na luta se quiser troféu.Only wants papaya? Only wants honey? Do you think it is easy to make paper? Go fight if you want a trophy.This sentence uses mamão within a rhythmic or poetic context.Tatoeba #12822898 by GustaBR, translation #12822899 by GustaBR
- Adoro comer mamão de manhã.I love eating papaya for breakfast.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariana and Lucas are in the kitchen having breakfast.
- MarianaO mamão está bem maduro hoje.The papaya is very ripe today.
- LucasSim, vamos comer um pouco?Yes, shall we eat some?
- MarianaEu adoro comer mamão de manhã.I love eating papaya in the morning.
- LucasEu também, é muito refrescante.Me too, it is very refreshing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “papaya” translations and entries mamão, papaia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mamão, papaia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
