podre
/ˈpo.dɾi/
The English word "rotten" is translated to Portuguese as podre.
podre is used to describe something that has decayed or gone bad. Much like in English, it can also be used figuratively to describe a person or a system that is morally corrupt.
Meaning: decayed, gone bad (adj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
podre is an informal way to say "rotten". For more formal contexts, you can use deteriorado or decomposto.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, it is common to use the term estragado to mean rotten.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective podre becomes podres when you are describing plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable. It is pronounced /ˈpo.dɾi/.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian slang, podre can describe someone who is incredibly wealthy, as in rico podre, which translates to 'filthy rich'.
- The word podre is used in the expression estou podre, which means someone is extremely tired or exhausted rather than physically decaying.
- The Portuguese word podre shares a common ancestor with the English word 'putrid', both originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *puH-.
Examples in context
- Esta maçã está podre.This apple is rotten.This sentence shows how to use podre to describe a single rotten apple.Tatoeba #1553051 by alexmarcelo, translation #867102 by papabear
- Esta banana está podre.This banana is rotten.This sentence shows how to use podre to describe a single rotten banana.Tatoeba #5674584 by bill, translation #5111943 by WM3DAS
- Estas maçãs estão podres.These apples are rotten.This sentence shows the plural form podres when describing multiple apples.Tatoeba #5559540 by bill, translation #1096341 by CK
- Aquele alimento está podre.That food is rotten.
- Essa fruta está estragada.This fruit is rotten.
- O prédio abandonado está totalmente deteriorado.The abandoned building is completely rotten.
- As folhas caídas no chão estão decompostas.The fallen leaves on the ground are rotten.
- Aquele filme foi podre!That movie was rotten!
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are in the kitchen looking at the vegetable drawer.
- CamilaO tomate está podre.The tomato is rotten.
- LucasPuxa, que cheiro ruim.Man, what a bad smell.
- CamilaPreciso jogar tudo fora.I need to throw everything away.
- LucasEu te ajudo com isso.I will help you with that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rotten” translations and entries podre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries podre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
