amido
/aˈmi.du/masculine
The English word starch is amido in Portuguese.
In a culinary or biological context, amido refers specifically to the carbohydrate starch.
Meaning: carbohydrates (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the term amido is widely used in both formal and informal contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
amido is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /aˈmi.du/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In some regional Brazilian dialects, the term amido de milho is almost exclusively replaced by the brand name Maizena in daily conversation.
- While amido is the starch itself, the action of starching clothes in Portuguese uses the word engomar, which shares a root with the word for 'ironing'.
- While amido is the scientific term for the carbohydrate, the word amido can also be used as an adjective in Portuguese to describe a person as 'stiff' or 'formal'.
Examples in context
- Como cozinhar arroz sem amido?How do you cook rice without starch?This sentence is useful for asking how to prepare rice without the use of amido.Tatoeba #10774502 by Advanced, translation #3654153 by AlanF_US
- Como se cozinha arroz sem amido?How does one cook rice without starch?This sentence is useful for asking how one cooks rice without the use of amido.Tatoeba #3492626 by piterkeo, translation #3654152 by AlanF_US
- O amido de milho liga bem o molho branco.Corn starch gives the white sauce its consistency.This sentence shows how amido is used to provide consistency to a white sauce.Tatoeba #944126 by alexmarcelo, translation #10457072 by AlanF_US
- Amido é um carboidrato encontrado em muitos alimentos.Starch is a carbohydrate found in many foods.
- Adicione um pouco de goma na massa para deixá-la mais consistente.Add a little starch to the dough to make it more consistent.
- Preciso comprar goma de roupa para passar minhas camisas.I need to buy starch to iron my shirts.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are discussing a recipe in the kitchen.
- GabrielO amido de milho está na prateleira.The corn starch is on the shelf.
- MarianaEu vi o pote de amido ontem.I saw the starch container yesterday.
- GabrielVocê sabe se ele serve para o creme?Do you know if it works for the cream?
- MarianaSim, ele vai deixar o creme bem grosso.Yes, it will make the cream very thick.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “starch” translations and entries amido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
