Rio de Janeiro
/ˈʁi.u d͡ʒi ʒaˈne(j).ɾu/masculine
Rio de Janeiro is the name of a municipality in Portuguese. Wiktionary also lists Rio.
Meaning: municipality (name)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rio de Janeiro | /ˈʁi.u d͡ʒi ʒaˈne(j).ɾu/ (Brazil) /ˈʁiw d͡ʒi ʒaˈne(j).ɾu/ (Brazil) |
masculine |
| Rio | /ˈʁi.u/ (Brazil) /ˈʁiw/ (Brazil) |
abbreviation, masculine |
The phrase refers to the specific municipality and its name is masculine.
Which one should you use?
Rio de Janeiro is the full name, while Rio is a common abbreviation used in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
When saying in Rio de Janeiro, you must use the contraction no (which is a combination of em and o) because the city name is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈʁi.u dʒi ʒaˈne(j).ɾu/. The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- Although the name means 'river of January', the water the explorers actually saw was not a river but a large bay.
- The word janeiro comes from the Latin 'Iānuārius', which is named after Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions.
Examples in context
- Moro no Rio de Janeiro.I live in Rio de Janeiro.This sentence is useful for stating where you live using Rio de Janeiro.Tatoeba #10458734 by Ricardo14, translation #10304886 by Ricardo14
- Choveu muito no Rio de Janeiro.It rained a lot in Rio de Janeiro.This sentence is useful for describing weather in Rio de Janeiro.Tatoeba #4776163 by anthrax26, translation #4773810 by Germic
- Moro no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.I live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.This sentence is useful for stating your location in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.Tatoeba #10566879 by Ricardo14, translation #10560938 by shekitten
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Beatriz are talking about their travel plans.
- RodrigoVocê quer visitar o Rio de Janeiro?Do you want to visit Rio de Janeiro?
- BeatrizSim, eu amo o Rio de Janeiro.Yes, I love Rio de Janeiro.
- RodrigoO Rio de Janeiro é lindo.Rio de Janeiro is beautiful.
- BeatrizCom certeza, Rodrigo.For sure, Rodrigo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rio de janeiro” translations and entries Rio de Janeiro, Rio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Rio, Rio de Janeiro, de, janeiro, rio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
