What does it mean word for word?
When used as a noun, burro literally means 'donkey'.
Which one should you use?
While burro implies a lack of intelligence (often compared to a donkey), the word estúpido can also mean 'rude' or 'offensive' in Portuguese.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Depending on the region, other informal terms for 'stupid' are used: in Brazilian Portuguese, bobo is often used informally to mean 'stupid' or to refer to someone who is naive or foolish, while in European Portuguese, parvo is commonly used informally to express the concept of 'stupid'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, burro must agree with the subject in gender and number: use burra for feminine subjects, burros for masculine plural subjects and burras for feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈbu.ʁu/ and has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word burro is an unexpected linguistic relative of the English word 'fire', as both trace back to the same Ancient Greek root for 'flame-colored'.
- A learner might use bobo thinking they are being harsh, but in Brazil, it is often a very soft, almost affectionate way to call someone 'silly' or 'naive'.
- Because burro is also the word for a donkey, calling a person um burro (a donkey) instead of just burro (stupid) makes the insult feel much more heavy and dehumanizing.
Examples in context
- Ele não é burro.He is not stupid.This sentence is useful for practicing the negative form of burro.Tatoeba #406550 by brauliobezerra, translation #302395 by CK
- Que cara mais burro!What a stupid guy!This sentence shows how to use burro to describe a person.Tatoeba #1129554 by alexmarcelo, translation #3384637 by Ricardo14
- Tom nunca foi burro.Tom never was stupid.This sentence demonstrates the use of burro in the past tense.Tatoeba #11070657 by omniglotman, translation #3221330 by CK
- Ele tomou uma decisão tola.He made a foolish decision.
- Ele esqueceu a chave dentro do carro. Que burro!He forgot the keys inside the car. How stupid!
- Aquele garoto está sempre fazendo coisas idiotas.That boy is always doing stupid things.
- Aquela resposta foi muito boba.That answer was very stupid.
- Não sejas parvo, isso não vai funcionar.Don't be stupid, that won't work.
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are discussing a difficult math exam.
- GabrielEu me senti muito burro nessa prova.I felt very stupid during this exam.
- MarianaNão diga isso, a prova estava difícil.Don't say that, the exam was difficult.
- GabrielMas eu não entendi nada de lógica.But I didn't understand anything about logic.
- MarianaVocê não é burro, apenas precisa estudar mais.You are not stupid, you just need to study more.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry burro, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries burro, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
