ronco
/ˈʁõ.ku/masculine
Snoring in Portuguese is ronco.
ronco is a masculine noun used to refer to the sound or the specific act of snoring.
Meaning: action or sound (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ronco is the noun for the sound or the act of snoring, the verb used to describe the action itself is roncar.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, ronco can be modified by adjectives, such as ronco alto (loud snoring).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʁõ.ku/. It has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian Portuguese, someone who snores heavily is sometimes jokingly called a trator, which means 'tractor'.
- While ronco describes the sound, Brazilians might use the slang term 'roncar o motor' to describe a car engine that is running very loudly or powerfully.
- The Greek root of ronco, ῥόγχος, is also the ancestor of the English word 'ronchus', creating a linguistic bridge between the two languages via Latin.
Examples in context
- O que causa ronco?What causes snoring?This sentence is useful for asking about the causes of ronco.Tatoeba #8644998 by JGEN, translation #8595969 by CK
- Eu podia ouvir o ronco da próxima tenda.I could hear snoring from the next tent.This sentence is useful for describing hearing ronco from a nearby location.Tatoeba #8627123 by JGEN, translation #8599744 by CK
- Teu ronco me manteve acordada a noite toda.Your snoring kept me up all night.This sentence is useful for explaining how ronco affected your sleep.Tatoeba #7919340 by carlosalberto, translation #7902033 by CK
- Durante a noite, ele começou a ressonar e acordou todo mundo.During the night, he started snoring and woke everyone up.
- Meu avô sempre ronca enquanto dorme.My grandfather always snores while he sleeps.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking in the bedroom about a bad night's sleep.
- MarianaFelipe, o seu ronco está muito alto hoje.Felipe, your snoring is very loud today.
- FelipeDesculpe, Mariana, eu estava muito cansado.Sorry, Mariana, I was very tired.
- MarianaEu não consegui dormir por causa desse ronco.I couldn't sleep because of that snoring.
- FelipeVou tentar dormir de lado para evitar o ronco.I will try to sleep on my side to avoid snoring.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snoring” translations and entries ronco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ronco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
