fila
/ˈfi.lɐ/feminine
The English phrase 'queue' is translated to Portuguese as fila. Wiktionary also lists alinhamento.
Meaning: line of people (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fila | /ˈfi.lɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈfi.lɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| alinhamento | /a.lĩ.ɲaˈmẽ.tu/ (Brazil) /ɐ.li.ɲɐˈmẽ.tu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
The word fila is used to describe a queue of people waiting for service, but it also refers to a queue of objects, such as a line of cars or a line of files in a computer. If you want to express the act of forming a queue or waiting in one, you can use the expression fazer fila. Related verbs include enfileirar, meaning to arrange into a queue and entrar na fila, meaning to put oneself at the end of a queue.
Which one should you use?
While fila is the standard word for a queue of people, alinhamento refers more to the physical alignment or arrangement of objects in a line.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of fila is filas.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈfi.lɐ/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the phrase furar a fila literally means 'to puncture the queue' but is used to describe the act of cutting in line.
- The word fila shares the same French root file as the English word 'file', which is why both languages use the term for both a line of people and a sequence of data or objects.
- The word fila can describe a row of seats in a theater or cinema, meaning a 'row' rather than a 'waiting line'.
Examples in context
- Ele estava na fila.He was in the queue.This sentence shows someone being in a fila.Tatoeba #5081086 by Ricardo14, translation #291381 by CM
- A fila está crescendo.The queue is growing.This sentence describes a fila that is growing.Tatoeba #8048493 by jvlopes91, translation #7028900 by Eccles17
- Tem que esperar na fila.You have to wait in the queue.This sentence mentions having to wait in a fila.Tatoeba #10648471 by malafaya, translation #10648420 by sundown
- Preciso esperar na fila para comprar os ingressos do cinema.I need to wait in line to buy the cinema tickets.
- Vamos formar uma filinha para pegar nossos lanches.Let's form a little line to get our snacks.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Felipe are arriving at a crowded music festival.
- CamilaFelipe, olha aquela fila enorme para o show!Felipe, look at that huge line for the show!
- FelipeSim, a fila está muito grande hoje.Yes, the queue is very large today.
- CamilaSerá que conseguimos entrar na fila logo?Do you think we can get in line soon?
- FelipeEu acho que sim, vamos tentar.I think so, let's try.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “queue” translations and entries fila, alinhamento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alinhamento, fila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
