girino
/ʒiˈɾi.nu/masculine
The Portuguese word for tadpole is girino.
girino is a masculine noun used to refer to the larva of a toad or a frog.
Meaning: toad or frog larva (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the term girino is used to refer to tadpoles.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of girino is girinos.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables with the stress on the second syllable: /ʒiˈɾi.nu/.
Did you know?
- Because of its connection to circular motion, the word girino shares a linguistic ancestry with the English word 'gyrate'.
- In certain poetic contexts in Portuguese, the girino is used as a metaphor for someone who is immature or in a transitional phase of life.
- If you are in a rural area of Brazil, you might hear much more specific, folk-derived names for a girino than the standard term used in cities.
Examples in context
- Eu vi um girino na lagoa.I saw a tadpole in the pond.
- O girino está nadando muito rápido.The tadpole is swimming very fast.
- Cuidado para não pisar no girino.Be careful not to step on the tadpole.
Example conversation
Lucas and Beatriz are walking near a small stream in a park.
- LucasBeatriz, olhe aquele girino na água!Beatriz, look at that tadpole in the water!
- BeatrizQue pequeno é esse girino, Lucas.How small this tadpole is, Lucas.
- LucasEle parece estar crescendo bem.He seems to be growing well.
- BeatrizSim, ele logo será um sapo.Yes, he will be a toad soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tadpole” translations and entries girino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries girino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
