pais
The Portuguese phrase for parents is pais.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish pais (parents) from pães (breads).
How does it change in a sentence?
While pais is the collective term, you can also refer to them specifically as pai e mãe.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse pais (parents) with país (country), which is spelled similarly but includes an accent mark.
Did you know?
- In some regions, calling one's parents meus velhos (my old folks) is a common, affectionate way to refer to them without being insulting.
- While English uses 'parents' as a neutral term, Portuguese speakers often use the diminutive paisinhos to express deep affection or endearment toward them.
- The word pais is used in the legal term pais de família, which refers to the head of a household regardless of whether they are biological parents.
Examples in context
- Cadê os seus pais?Where are your parents?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of someone's pais.Tatoeba #1641971 by alexmarcelo, translation #3821614 by CK
- Meus pais me amam.My parents love me.This sentence is useful for expressing that one's pais love them.Tatoeba #1695083 by alexmarcelo, translation #837793 by riccioberto
- Fui ver meus pais.I went to see my parents.This sentence is useful for saying you went to see your pais.Tatoeba #2914974 by alexmarcelo, translation #2914746 by CK
- Eu gostaria de conhecer seus pais, eles parecem pessoas incríveis.I would like to meet your parents, they seem like amazing people.
- Os progenitores da criança foram identificados através de testes de DNA.The parents of the child were identified through DNA tests.
- Minha mãe adora cozinhar, e meu pai é um ótimo contador de histórias.My mother loves to cook, and my father is a great storyteller.
- 784 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a weekend trip.
- CamilaVocê vai viajar com seus pais?Are you traveling with your parents?
- GabrielNão, vou viajar com meus amigos.No, I am traveling with my friends.
- CamilaOs seus pais viajaram para o interior?Did your parents travel to the countryside?
- GabrielSim, eles estão lá agora.Yes, they are there now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
