toalha
/tuˈa.ʎɐ/feminine
The Portuguese word for towel is toalha.
toalha refers to a cloth used for wiping. You can use this word to specify different types of linens by combining it with other nouns. For example, toalha de banho is a bath towel, toalha de rosto is a face towel and toalha de mesa is a tablecloth.
Meaning: cloth used for wiping (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the informal word for a small towel, such as a hand towel or washcloth, is often toalhinha. In Portugal, the specific term used to refer to a bath towel is toalha de banho.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of toalha is toalhas.
How do you pronounce it?
/tuˈa.ʎɐ/. The word has three syllables, and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word toalha shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'towel', both tracing back to the Frankish word *þwahillja.
- In a professional kitchen, a waiter might use the word toalha to refer to a linen napkin, though 'guardanapo' is more common for dining.
- The spelling of toalha contains the 'lh' digraph, which produces a sound similar to the 'lli' in the English word 'million'.
Examples in context
- Me dê uma toalha.Give me a towel.This example shows how to request a towel using toalha.Tatoeba #5595345 by Ricardo14, translation #5068928 by AlanF_US
- Não jogue a toalha.Don't throw in the towel.This example uses the idiom involving toalha.Tatoeba #5540720 by bill, translation #241202 by CK
- A toalha está seca.The towel is dry.This example describes the state of a toalha.Tatoeba #6045277 by bill, translation #2002519 by bichodebola
- Desculpe, você poderia me emprestar uma toalha?Excuse me, could you lend me a towel?
- Poderia me passar uma toalha de praia, por favor?Could you pass me a beach towel, please?
- Eu costumo levar uma toalhinha na bolsa para emergências.I usually carry a small towel in my bag for emergencies.
- Você tem uma toalha extra que eu possa usar?Do you have an extra towel that I can use?
- Eu adoro pegar uma toalha macia depois do banho.I love grabbing a soft towel after a shower.
- 60 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a hotel near the beach.
- BeatrizRodrigo, você pegou a toalha?Rodrigo, did you grab the towel?
- RodrigoSim, a toalha azul está na bolsa.Yes, the blue towel is in the bag.
- BeatrizÓtimo, vamos para a piscina.Great, let's go to the pool.
- RodrigoEspera, preciso de uma toalha extra.Wait, I need an extra towel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “towel” translations and entries toalha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries toalha, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
