senhor
/sẽˈɲoʁ/masculine
In Portuguese, the way to say "sir" is senhor.
Senhor is a noun used to address any male, especially if his name or proper address is unknown. For individuals of high rank or position, such as ambassadors or government officials, the term Excelência (excellency) is used instead.
Meaning: address to any male, especially if his name or proper address is unknown (noun)
Which one should you use?
Senhor and its feminine counterpart senhora are used to show respect to adults. This contrasts with você, which is a more neutral way to say "you" and tu, which is more informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Northeast region of Brazil, doutor is used as an informal way to address someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using senhor as a second-person pronoun to mean "you", it is almost always preceded by the definite article o, as in o senhor. The feminine counterpart is senhora, and the plural forms are senhores for a group of men or a mixed group and senhoras for a group of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/sẽˈɲoʁ/
Did you know?
- The word senhor is actually a comparative form of the Latin word for 'old', meaning it literally traces back to the concept of being an 'elder'.
- While 'senhor' is used to show respect, using the second-person pronoun tu instead can sometimes cause significant social friction or be seen as an insult depending on the region.
- The term senhores is used to address a mixed-gender group, meaning a single man in the group makes the feminine senhoras incorrect.
Examples in context
- O senhor é médico?Are you a doctor, sir?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a doctor using senhor.Tatoeba #6152223 by bill, translation #5341005 by Amittai
- O senhor tem bagagem?Do you have any baggage, sir?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has baggage using senhor.Tatoeba #4262986 by JFMorais, translation #4262959 by JFMorais
- Ela mora perto do senhor?Does she live near you, sir?This sentence is useful for asking if someone lives near you using senhor.Tatoeba #1112857 by alexmarcelo, translation #914071 by Jane_Austen
- O senhor deseja alguma coisa?Do you need anything, sir?
- Excelência, qual é a sua opinião sobre esse assunto?Your Excellency, what is your opinion on this matter?
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariana approaches Gabriel to return a dropped wallet in a park.
- MarianaCom licença, senhor.Excuse me, sir.
- GabrielSim, em que posso ajudar?Yes, how can I help?
- MarianaO senhor deixou cair a carteira.You dropped your wallet.
- GabrielMuito obrigado, moça.Thank you very much, young lady.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sir” translations and entries senhor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries senhor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
