Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| história | /isˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/ (Brazil) /iʃˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/ (Rio de Janeiro) |
feminine |
| estória | /isˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/ (Brazil) /esˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/ (Brazil) |
feminine |
| conto | /ˈkõ.tu/ (Brazil) /ˈkõ.tu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
In Portuguese, história is the most general and widely used term for "story". It can refer to both a factual account of events (history) and a fictional narrative (story). Conto is used specifically to refer to a short story or a tale. Narrativa is a more formal term used to describe a narrative or a storyline in academic or professional contexts.
Which one should you use?
história is the standard term for any kind of story or history. In some contexts, speakers use estória to specifically distinguish a fictional story from a factual history, though this is less common. Conto is used when you are specifically referring to a literary short story.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In European Portuguese, conto is widely used to refer to a short story. In some regions of Brazil, the informal term causo is used to refer to a short anecdote or a funny story.
How does it change in a sentence?
história and estória are feminine nouns, while conto is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of história is /isˈtɔ.ɾjɐ/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, saying someone is 'telling a história' can be a subtle way of suggesting they are lying or making up an excuse.
- The word conto shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'compute', as both derive from the Latin term for 'calculation'.
Examples in context
- Essa é a história.That's the story.This sentence demonstrates the use of história.Tatoeba #2831235 by alexmarcelo, translation #2251281 by CK
- É uma bela história.It's a beautiful story.Tatoeba #3650710 by ajdavidl, translation #3649975 by Hybrid
- Esta estória é real?Is this story true?This sentence demonstrates the use of estória.Tatoeba #4809033 by bill, translation #4495048 by CK
- A história que ela contou sobre suas aventuras na Amazônia foi inspiradora.The story she told about her adventures in the Amazon was inspiring.
- O último conto de Machado de Assis é considerado uma obra-prima da literatura brasileira.Machado de Assis' latest short story is considered a masterpiece of Brazilian literature.
- Ele me contou uma estória muito engraçada sobre sua infância.He told me a very funny story about his childhood.
- 494 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Beatriz are talking about a book in a library.
- GabrielA história deste livro é emocionante.The story of this book is exciting.
- BeatrizVocê já terminou de ler a história?Have you finished reading the story?
- GabrielAinda não, a história é muito longa.Not yet, the story is very long.
- BeatrizEu adoro uma boa história.I love a good story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “story” translations and entries história, estória, conto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries conto, estória, história, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
