menina bonita
/miˈnĩ.nɐ buˈni.tɐ/word by word
The English phrase "pretty girl" is translated into Portuguese as menina bonita.
The phrase is used to describe a girl who is attractive or pleasing to look at.
Which one should you use?
While menina bonita means "pretty girl", you can use menina linda to express a stronger sentiment, implying she is a "beautiful girl" or "gorgeous" rather than just pretty.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the term rapariga is a common way to say "girl".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase menina bonita is in the feminine form. To describe a pretty boy, you would change the gender of both words to menino bonito. When using the indefinite article "a", you use uma menina bonita because menina is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of menina bonita is /miˈnĩ.nɐ buˈni.tɐ/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- If you use the word rapariga to mean 'pretty girl' in Brazil, you may accidentally use a term that is considered highly offensive or vulgar.
- In certain regions of Brazil, you might hear gata instead of menina bonita as a slang term to describe an attractive woman.
- The word bonita shares a root with the English word 'bonny', which is still used in Scotland to describe someone who is pretty.
Examples in context
- Você é uma menina bonita.You're a pretty girl.The first sentence is useful for saying "You're a pretty girl" using menina bonita.Tatoeba #9705927 by Cinthya, translation #8505705 by CK
- Quem é aquela menina bonita?Who is that pretty girl?The second sentence is useful for asking "Who is that pretty girl?" using menina bonita.Tatoeba #5540665 by bill, translation #68706 by CK
- Você é uma linda meninaYou are a pretty girl
- Você é uma bonita garotaYou are a beautiful girl
- Você é uma belíssima moçaYou are an incredibly beautiful girl
- Você é uma gatinhaYou are a cute girl
- Você é uma lindinhaYou are a cutie
- Aquela menina bonita é sua irmã?Is that pretty girl your sister?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are looking at a photo album.
- GabrielQuem é essa menina bonita na foto?Who is this pretty girl in the photo?
- JulianaÉ a minha prima, a Alice.It is my cousin, Alice.
- GabrielEla é muito simpática, não é?She is very nice, isn't she?
- JulianaSim, ela é uma menina muito legal.Yes, she is a very cool girl.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (menina, bonita) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
