Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chuveiro | /ʃuˈve(j).ɾu/ (Brazil) /ʃuˈvɐj.ɾu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| duche | /ˈdu.ʃi/ (Brazil) /ˈdu.ʃɨ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
Both terms refer to a device for bathing. While chuveiro often refers specifically to the physical shower head or the fixture itself, the related verb phrase tomar banho (de chuveiro) is used to describe the act of bathing or taking a shower.
Which one should you use?
Chuveiro is often used to specify the physical shower head or fixture, whereas the broader term for the act of showering is usually handled by a verb phrase. In contrast, both chuveiro and duche can refer to the shower in general depending on the region.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Duche is the standard and most commonly used term for a shower in Portugal. Chuveiro is the term widely used in Brazil.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun chuveiro is masculine, meaning it must be used with masculine articles such as o (the) or um (a).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of chuveiro is /ʃuˈve(j).ɾu/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Brazilian homes, the chuveiro is an electric appliance that heats the water instantly as it flows. These devices often have a manual switch to toggle between 'summer' and 'winter' temperatures.
- The suffix -eiro in chuveiro is a common Portuguese ending used to denote a profession or a tool, similar to the English suffix -eer in 'engineer'.
- The word duche is a loanword from the French douche, which originally came from the Italian doccia.
Examples in context
- O chuveiro está quebrado.The shower is broken.This sentence uses chuveiro to describe a broken fixture.Tatoeba #978012 by alexmarcelo, translation #438772 by Clavain
- Costumo cantar no chuveiro.I often sing in the shower.This sentence uses chuveiro to describe a location for singing.Tatoeba #4892512 by bill, translation #4546353 by CK
- Acabei de sair do chuveiro.I just got out of the shower.This sentence uses chuveiro to describe having just finished bathing.Tatoeba #8339586 by JGEN, translation #8226861 by CK
- Vou tomar um ducheI'm going to take a shower
- Preciso tomar um banhoI need to take a shower
- Ele vai tomar um banho agoraHe is going to take a shower now
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are in their apartment discussing a bathroom repair.
- JulianaFelipe, o chuveiro está vazando.Felipe, the shower is leaking.
- FelipeEu vou consertar o chuveiro agora.I will fix the shower now.
- JulianaVocê consegue fazer isso sozinho?Can you do it by yourself?
- FelipeSim, eu sei mexer com isso.Yes, I know how to deal with this.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shower” translations and entries chuveiro, duche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chuveiro, duche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
