espirro
/isˈpi.ʁu/
To sneeze in Portuguese is espirro.
The word espirro can be used to mean the act of sneezing (the noun) or to say 'I sneeze' (the first-person singular present indicative of the verb).
Meaning: expel air as a reflex (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While espirro is used for 'I sneeze', the standard infinitive verb form for 'to sneeze' is espirrar.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable: /isˈpi.ʁu/.
When do people say it?
When someone sneezes, you can say saúde to wish them good health.
Did you know?
- The Portuguese language has a specific related term espirro de gato, which literally means 'cat sneeze' and is used to describe a very tiny or insignificant amount of something.
- If someone sneezes multiple times in a row, it is common in some Lusophone cultures to repeat saúde for the first sneeze and felicidade for the second.
- The word espirrar is used colloquially to describe a liquid spraying out in a fine mist, such as when a bottle of champagne opens or a perfume is applied.
Examples in context
- Espirro o tempo todo.I sneeze all the time.This sentence is useful for saying you sneeze all the time using espirro.Tatoeba #5096019 by Ricardo14, translation #2094331 by Eldad
- Eu espirro com frequência.I sneeze a lot.This sentence is useful for saying you sneeze a lot using espirro.Tatoeba #1230021 by alexmarcelo, translation #29987 by CK
- Eu espirro quase todo dia.I sneeze almost every day.This sentence is useful for saying you sneeze almost every day using espirro.Tatoeba #10196643 by BranTheOliver, translation #1740246 by Amastan
- O paciente espirrou três vezes durante a consulta.The patient sneezed three times during the appointment.
- Hoje acordei resfriado e já dei um espirro logo pela manhã.Today I woke up with a cold and already sneezed first thing in the morning.
- Estou com uma alergia que me faz espirrar constantemente.I have an allergy that makes me sneeze constantly.
- Acho que estou ficando resfriado. Saúde!"I think I'm catching a cold." "Bless you!"
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Beatriz are sitting in a living room.
- FelipeAi, eu sempre espirro quando entro no sol.Oh, I always sneeze when I go into the sun.
- BeatrizSaúde, Felipe!Bless you, Felipe!
- FelipeObrigado, Beatriz. Acho que é alergia.Thank you, Beatriz. I think it's an allergy.
- BeatrizEu também espirro muito na primavera.I also sneeze a lot in the spring.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry espirro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
