dorminhoco
/doʁ.mĩˈɲo.ku/masculine
The Portuguese word for 'sleepyhead' is dorminhoco.
dorminhoco is a noun used to describe a sleepy person.
Meaning: sleepy person (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
dorminhoco is a colloquial term.
How does it change in a sentence?
While dorminhoco is the masculine form, the feminine form of the noun is dorminhoca.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable. The pronunciation is /doʁ.mĩˈɲo.ku/.
Did you know?
- While dorminhoco refers to the person, Portuguese uses the phrase estou com sono to say 'I am sleepy', literally meaning 'I am with sleep'.
- Calling someone a dorminhoco can sometimes imply a lack of awareness or being 'asleep at the wheel' during a critical moment.
- The suffix -oco in dorminhoco is a common way in Portuguese to create a slightly playful or diminutive noun, often used for people or animals.
Examples in context
- Acorda, seu dorminhoco!Wake up, you sleepyhead!
- Ele é um dorminhoco de marca maior.He is a real sleepyhead.
- Não seja um dorminhoco e venha logo.Don't be a sleepyhead and come quickly.
Example conversation
Mariana is trying to wake Rodrigo up for work.
- MarianaRodrigo, acorda! Já estamos atrasados.Rodrigo, wake up! We are already late.
- RodrigoSó mais cinco minutinhos, por favor.Just five more minutes, please.
- MarianaNão adianta, seu dorminhoco!It's no use, you sleepyhead!
- RodrigoEstá bem, eu já estou levantando.Alright, I am getting up now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleepyhead” translations and entries dorminhoco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
