banana-da-terra
feminine
The Portuguese word for plantain is banana-da-terra. Wiktionary also lists banana-comprida and banana-pão.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| banana-da-terra | feminine |
| banana-comprida | feminine |
| banana-pão | feminine |
While banana on its own typically refers to the sweet dessert banana, the terms provided here specify the plantain variety.
Which one should you use?
While banana-da-terra refers to plantain, the word banana alone typically refers to the sweet dessert banana. The form banana-pão is another way to refer to certain types of starchy plantains or cooking bananas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, banana-da-terra is the most common term for plantain. In the Northeast of Brazil, banana-pão is a common term for plantain.
How does it change in a sentence?
All forms of this word are feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- Portuguese speakers may use the word banana as a slang term for someone who is timid or weak, regardless of whether they are talking about the fruit.
- The term banana-da-terra literally translates to 'banana of the earth', a distinction used to separate it from the 'common' sweet banana.
- Despite being biologically fruits, plantains like banana-da-terra are often categorized as vegetables or starches in Portuguese culinary contexts.
Examples in context
- No supermercado, você pode encontrar banana-da-terra na seção de frutas tropicais.At the supermarket, you can find plantains in the tropical fruit section.
- Vamos fazer um purê de banana-da-terra para o almoço.Let's make mashed plantains for lunch.
- A banana-da-terra está bem madura.The plantain is very ripe.
- Eu gosto de fritar banana-da-terra.I like to fry plantain.
- Compre uma banana-da-terra no mercado.Buy a plantain at the market.
Example conversation
Felipe and Camila are planning a snack in the kitchen.
- FelipeCamila, temos banana-da-terra para o lanche?Camila, do we have plantain for the snack?
- CamilaSim, Felipe, ela está na fruteira.Yes, Felipe, it is in the fruit bowl.
- FelipeÓtimo, vou prepará-la agora.Great, I will prepare it now.
- CamilaPode fazer, eu adoro!Go ahead, I love it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plantain” translations and entries banana-da-terra, banana-comprida, banana-pão, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries banana-comprida, banana-da-terra, banana-pão, CC BY-SA 4.0.
