coitadinho
/koj.taˈd͡ʒĩ.ɲu/masculine
In Portuguese, the English phrase 'poor thing' can be translated as coitadinho. Wiktionary also lists pobrezinho.
Meaning: someone or something to be pitied (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| coitadinho | /koj.taˈd͡ʒĩ.ɲu/ (Brazil) /koj.tɐˈdi.ɲu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| pobrezinho | /ˌpɔ.bɾiˈzĩ.ɲu/ (Brazil) /ˌpɔ.bɾɨˈzi.ɲu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
These terms are used to refer to someone or something to be pitied.
What does it mean word for word?
The term coitadinho literally means 'little poor thing'.
Which one should you use?
The standard form coitado means 'poor guy' or 'poor thing'. However, coitadinho is more common when you want to express genuine sympathy or when treating the subject as cute or helpless.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female 'poor thing', change the masculine ending -o to -a, resulting in coitadinha. To personalize the phrase when referring to a specific person, you can use the expressions Coitado(a) dele/dela.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of coitadinho is /koj.taˈdʒĩ.ɲu/. It has four syllables, with the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- The root of coitadinho is the verb coitar, which means 'to cause pain' or 'to suffer'.
- If you use coitadinho with a sarcastic tone, it can be used to mock someone who is complaining about nothing.
- Portuguese uses the diminutive suffix -inho or -zinho to soften the emotional impact of the word, making it sound more tender than the standard coitado.
Examples in context
- O coitadinho ficou doente de novo.The poor thing got sick again.
- Olha o coitadinho, está sem comida.Look at the poor thing, it has no food.
- Ele perdeu o brinquedo, coitadinho.He lost his toy, poor thing.
Example conversation
Felipe and Beatriz are looking at a stray dog in the street.
- FelipeOlha aquele cachorro, coitadinho.Look at that dog, poor thing.
- BeatrizEle parece estar com muita fome.He looks very hungry.
- FelipeVou levar um pouco de água para ele.I will take some water to him.
- BeatrizBoa ideia, o coitadinho precisa de ajuda.Good idea, the poor thing needs help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor thing” translations and entries coitadinho, pobrezinho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coitadinho, pobrezinho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
