médico
/ˈmɛ.d͡ʒi.ku/masculine
The English word "physician" is translated into Portuguese as médico. Wiktionary also lists doutor.
Meaning: medical doctor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| médico | /ˈmɛ.d͡ʒi.ku/ (Brazil) /ˈmɛ.di.ku/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| doutor | /do(w)ˈtoʁ/ (Brazil) /do(w)ˈtoɾ/ (São Paulo) |
masculine |
In Portuguese, médico is the standard word for a medical doctor, whereas doutor is more frequently used as a social title.
Which one should you use?
While médico refers to the profession, doutor is often used as a respectful title when addressing a physician directly. Additionally, clínico is a formal way to refer to a male general practitioner.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The use of doutor or doutora to address a physician is especially common in Brazil. In Portugal, the term médico de família is used to refer to a family doctor.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is médico. The feminine form of médico is médica.
How do you pronounce it?
The word médico is pronounced /ˈmɛ.dʒi.ku/ and has three syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In some traditional Brazilian contexts, people may use doutor to address anyone they perceive as highly educated, even if the person has no medical training.
- The word doutor originally meant 'scholar' or 'teacher' in Old Galician-Portuguese, rather than a specific medical practitioner.
- While médico describes the profession, calling someone doutor in a social setting can be a way of acknowledging their social class or prestige regardless of their degree.
Examples in context
- Que faz o médico?What does a physician do?This sentence shows how to ask about a physician's actions using médico.Tatoeba #1194069 by alexmarcelo, translation #8350000 by lucasmg123
- Pensei que fosse médico.I thought that he was a physician.This sentence expresses a thought regarding someone's profession using médico.Tatoeba #11014321 by carlosalberto, translation #1202046 by Eldad
- Médico, cura-te a ti mesmo.Physician, heal thyself.This sentence uses médico in a proverbial context.Tatoeba #2815256 by carlosalberto, translation #413600 by Scott
- Eu vou marcar uma consulta com o médico amanhã.I am going to schedule an appointment with the physician tomorrow.
- A doutora Silva é uma excelente cardiologista.Dr. Silva is an excellent cardiologist.
- Eu preciso agendar uma consulta com o clínico geral.I need to schedule an appointment with the general practitioner.
- Meu tio é doutor e me deu alguns conselhos médicos.My uncle is a doctor and gave me some medical advice.
- Vou marcar uma consulta com o meu médico de família.I'm going to schedule an appointment with my family doctor.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are talking about a family member's health.
- JulianaO Felipe já falou com o médico?Has Felipe spoken with the physician yet?
- FelipeSim, o médico disse que está tudo bem.Yes, the physician said everything is fine.
- JulianaQue bom, fico mais tranquila.That's good, I feel more relieved.
- FelipeEle é um médico muito atencioso.He is a very attentive physician.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “physician” translations and entries médico, doutor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries doutor, médico, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
