How to Say "Queen" in Portuguese

rainha

/ʁaˈĩ.ɲɐ/feminine

The English word queen is translated into Portuguese as rainha.

The noun rainha refers to a female monarch. It is also used in the common phrase rainha de beleza to mean a beauty queen.

Meaning: female monarch (noun)

Which one should you use?

While rainha is the standard term for a queen, the formal term soberana (sovereign) may be used when specifically referring to a reigning queen.

The plural of rainha is rainhas.

/ʁaˈĩ.ɲɐ/. The word has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable.

In Brazil, the term rainha is often used in the context of Carnival to describe the rainha de bateria, the lead dancer and figurehead of a samba school's percussion section.
The word rainha is used in the names of several distinct types of plants and animals in Portuguese, such as the rainha-do-estuário fish.
The Portuguese word rainha is a direct descendant of the Latin word rēgīna, which is also the ancestor of the English word 'regal'.

Deus salve a Rainha!
God save the Queen!
This sentence shows how to use rainha in a formal salutation.
Tatoeba #4259066 by JFMorais, translation #4256555 by JFMorais
Estou vendo a rainha.
I see the queen.
This sentence uses rainha to indicate seeing a queen.
Tatoeba #1912130 by alexmarcelo, translation #1912223 by CM
A rainha deve morrer.
The queen must die.
This sentence uses rainha in a dramatic context.
Tatoeba #8793172 by carlosalberto, translation #6106391 by mailohilohi
A Rainha Elizabeth II é admirada em todo o mundo.
Queen Elizabeth II is admired worldwide.
Como você está hoje, minha rainha?
How are you today, my queen?
87 more sentences on Tatoeba

Rodrigo and Mariana are discussing a historical documentary.

Sources

Wiktionary, “queen” translations and entries rainha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries rainha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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