Which one should you use?
Depending on the context and the tone you wish to convey, you might choose different words. Use magro for a neutral description, but if you want to be colloquial and affectionate, use magrinho (masculine) or magrinha (feminine). To be more informal and describe someone as extremely thin, you can use palito, which literally means matchstick. If you want to be more colloquial and slightly derogatory, describing someone as scrawny or bony is done using magrelo. For a formal way to say someone is slender or svelte, use esbelto (masculine) or esbelta (feminine).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the word esguio is used to refer to someone who is slender or slim. In Brazil, the expression seco(a) is used to refer to a very thin person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective magro must agree with the gender and number of the person or noun it describes. It changes to magra for a female person or a feminine noun, magros for a group of males or a mixed-gender group and magras for a group of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈma.ɡɾu/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, the word magro does not just describe people. It is used to describe cuts of meat that have little or no fat.
- The Portuguese word magro shares a common ancestor with the English word 'meager', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root for 'long' or 'thin'.
- While magro is the standard term, calling someone seco in Brazil literally means they are 'dry'. This describes a person who is so thin they seem to lack any moisture or flesh.
Examples in context
- Eu não sou magro.I'm not skinny.This sentence uses magro to express a personal state.Tatoeba #3436365 by Ricardo14, translation #3330183 by CK
- Tom é muito magro.Tom is too skinny.This sentence uses magro to describe Tom's physical appearance.Tatoeba #4776035 by bill, translation #4495112 by CK
- Meu filho é muito magro.My son is too skinny.This sentence uses magro to describe a son's physical appearance.Tatoeba #5469013 by bill, translation #5446849 by AlanF_US
- Ele é muito magro.He is very skinny.
- Ela tem uma figura esbelta.She has a slender figure.
- Olha só o magrinho ali.Look at that skinny guy over there.
- O João é um pau de virar tripa.João is a real skin-and-bones.
- Olha só aquele cara, um verdadeiro palito!Look at that guy, a real matchstick!
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Juliana are talking about a mutual friend.
- GabrielVocê viu que o Lucas está mais magro?Did you see that Lucas is skinnier?
- JulianaSim, ele começou a malhar recentemente.Yes, he started working out recently.
- GabrielEle sempre foi um rapaz magro.He has always been a skinny guy.
- JulianaÉ verdade, ele é bem magro mesmo.That's true, he really is very skinny.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skinny” translations and entries magro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries magro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
