pele
/ˈpɛ.li/feminine
Skin in Portuguese is pele.
The word pele is used to refer to the outer protective layer of the body of a person or animal. Related verbs include esfolar and raspar, which mean to injure the skin and esfolar and descascar, which mean to remove the skin.
Meaning: outer protective layer of the body of a person or animal (noun)
Which one should you use?
pele is used for human or animal skin, whereas casca is used for the skin or rind of fruits and vegetables.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, pele is the standard term for skin.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun pele is feminine and requires feminine articles and adjectives.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of pele is /ˈpɛ.li/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- When talking about 'goosebumps', Portuguese speakers refer to pele de galinha, which literally translates to 'chicken skin'.
- The verb esfolar, related to pele, can be used colloquially to mean 'to cheat' or 'to overcharge' someone, similar to 'skinning' them in English.
- Portuguese uses the word cutícula specifically for the skin around the nails, and the act of removing it is a massive cultural industry in Brazilian beauty salons.
Examples in context
- Sua pele é macia.Her skin is soft.This sentence is useful for describing the texture of someone's pele.Tatoeba #1229797 by alexmarcelo, translation #8578357 by Elsofie
- Ela é pele e osso.She is all skin and bone.This sentence is useful for the idiomatic expression involving pele.Tatoeba #1122555 by alexmarcelo, translation #310687 by CK
- Minha pele é seca.My skin is dry.This sentence is useful for describing the condition of one's pele.Tatoeba #5332655 by carlosalberto, translation #5332263 by Adelpa
- A pele é o maior órgão do ser humano.The skin is the largest organ in the human body.
- A epiderme humana é constituída por várias camadas.The human epidermis is composed of several layers.
- 109 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Beatriz are talking about skincare at home.
- RodrigoBeatriz, sua pele está muito brilhante hoje.Beatriz, your skin is very glowing today.
- BeatrizObrigada, Rodrigo, eu usei um creme novo.Thank you, Rodrigo, I used a new cream.
- RodrigoO efeito na pele é realmente bom.The effect on the skin is really good.
- BeatrizSim, eu recomendo para você também.Yes, I recommend it to you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skin” translations and entries pele, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
