forte
/ˈfɔʁ.t͡ʃi/
The English word strong is translated to Portuguese as forte.
Forte is the most common and standard way to say strong in Portuguese, referring to the capacity to produce great physical force. Depending on the context, other words may be more precise: resistente emphasizes durability and resilience in objects or materials, while robusto conveys strength combined with sturdiness for both people and things. If you want to say powerful, use poderoso, which can also encompass strength in certain contexts. To describe someone who is physically tough and strong-willed, you can use durão or durona.
Meaning: capable of producing great physical force (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective forte is gender-neutral and remains the same whether describing a masculine or feminine noun. To make the adjective plural, add an -s to get fortes.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈfɔʁ.tʃi/.
Did you know?
- If you want to say a person is 'strong-willed' in a casual way, you might use the slang 'casca grossa' which literally means 'thick skin'.
- When talking about a scent or smell, 'cheiro forte' is often used as a polite way to describe something that is quite pungent or even unpleasant.
- The phrase estar forte is sometimes used colloquially in Brazil to describe someone who has recovered their health or weight after an illness.
Examples in context
- Você é o forte.You're the strong one.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as the strong one using forte.Tatoeba #5232556 by ToinhoAlam, translation #3168025 by CK
- Como ele é forte!How strong he is!This sentence is an exclamation of how strong someone is using forte.Tatoeba #1487163 by alexmarcelo, translation #294266 by CM
- Eu não sou forte.I'm not strong.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are not strong using forte.Tatoeba #3436371 by Ricardo14, translation #3330171 by CK
- Ele é muito forte.He is very strong.
- Tenha uma mente forte.Have a strong mind.
- Essa parede é resistente.This wall is strong.
- Meu corpo é resistente.My body is strong.
- Ela é uma mulher robusta.She is a strong woman.
- Precisamos de um carro robusto para essa estrada.We need a strong car for this road.
- Ondas poderosas atingiram a praia.Powerful waves hit the beach.
- Ele é um cara fortão.He is a really strong guy.
- Não se engane, ele é durão.Don't be fooled. He is tough.
- Ela é uma mulher durona.She is a tough woman.
- Aquele cara é todo bombado, malha muito.That guy is all buffed up, works out a lot.
- Ela é bombada, treina pesado.She is muscular, trains hard.
- 355 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mariana and Rodrigo are moving furniture in a room.
- MarianaRodrigo, você é forte o suficiente para carregar isso?Rodrigo, are you strong enough to carry this?
- RodrigoSim, eu consigo. Pode deixar comigo.Yes, I can. Leave it to me.
- MarianaQue bom, porque esse armário é muito pesado.That's good, because this wardrobe is very heavy.
- RodrigoEu sou forte, não se preocupe!I am strong, don't worry!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strong” translations and entries forte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
