tonelada
/to.neˈla.dɐ/feminine
The English word "ton" is translated into Portuguese as tonelada.
tonelada refers to a metric ton and is used in both Portugal and Brazil to denote this unit of mass.
Meaning: various units of mass notionally equivalent to a tun (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "tons", use toneladas. The noun tonelada is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has four syllables, with the stress on the third syllable: /to.neˈla.dɐ/.
When do people say it?
If you want to colloquially say "a ton" in the sense of "a lot of things," you should use the phrase muita coisa instead of the word for a unit of weight.
Did you know?
- The term is actually a diminutive in disguise, originating from the Old French 'tonel', which refers to a 'little tun' or a small cask.
- In a maritime context, the word tonelada was historically used in Portuguese to measure the capacity of a ship's hold rather than the weight of the ship itself.
- In Portuguese, the suffix -ada used in tonelada is also used to create words like colherada for 'a spoonful' and pirralhada for 'a bunch of kids'.
Examples in context
- Dois camiões mineiros de 200 toneladas entraram formalmente em serviço na moderna mina de ouro.Two, 200-ton haul trucks formally rolled into service at the modern gold mine.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the weight of haul trucks using tonelada.Tatoeba #10661230 by Luciferous, translation #10661227 by Luciferous
- Os apicultores ganham ligeiramente mais do que 3.000 $ por tonelada de mel ou cera no mercado internacional.Bee farmers earn slightly more than $3,000 for a ton of honey or beeswax on the international market.This sentence shows how to express the price per tonelada of a product in a market context.Tatoeba #11131548 by Cangarejo, translation #11131547 by Cangarejo
- O dente-de-leão geneticamente modificado já está a produzir meia tonelada de borracha por hectare, mas Pruefer diz que o objetivo dos cientistas é o dobro.The genetically-engineered dandelion is already producing half a ton of rubber per hectare, but Pruefer says the scientists’ goal is about twice as much.This sentence demonstrates how to use the word to describe half a tonelada of a substance.Tatoeba #12303875 by Cangarejo, translation #12303874 by Cangarejo
- Uma tonelada de açúcarA ton of sugar
- Ela tem uma montanha de roupas para lavarShe has a ton of clothes to wash
- Havia um mar de gente na praiaThere was a ton of people at the beach
- Eu tenho muita coisa para fazerI have a ton of things to do
- Eu preciso comprar duas toneladas de cimento para a construçãoI need to buy two tons of cement for the construction
- Ele tem uma montanha de livros em sua estanteHe has a ton of books on his shelf
- Há um mar de oportunidades nos negócios internacionaisThere is a ton of opportunities in international business
- Aquele evento foi um sucesso, tinha um mar de gente presenteThat event was a success, there were a ton of people in attendance
- Preciso limpar o quarto, tenho muita coisa espalhadaI need to clean the room, there is a ton of stuff scattered around
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe and Mariana are discussing a shipment of cargo.
- FelipeQuantas toneladas de areia nós precisamos?How many tons of sand do we need?
- MarianaA carga total tem apenas uma tonelada.The total cargo is only one ton.
- FelipeIsso é muito pouco para o projeto.That is very little for the project.
- MarianaEu sei, vou pedir mais agora.I know, I will order more now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ton” translations and entries tonelada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tonelada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
