van
/ˈvɐ̃/feminine
The English word 'van' can be translated into Portuguese as van or furgão.
Meaning: a covered vehicle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| van | /ˈvɐ̃/ (Brazil) /ˈvan/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
| furgão | /fuʁˈɡɐ̃w̃/ (Brazil) /fuɾˈɡɐ̃w̃/ (São Paulo) |
masculine |
The term refers to a covered vehicle. In Brazil, van is frequently used to describe passenger transport vehicles, such as those used for tourist shuttles or school runs.
Which one should you use?
van is a common loanword, whereas furgão is used specifically for larger, heavy-duty cargo vans or delivery vehicles.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazilian Portuguese, kombi is a regional variation that refers to a specific type of van. In European Portuguese, carrinha is used to refer to smaller vans used for delivery services or passenger transportation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word van is a feminine noun, so the plural form is as vans.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɐ̃/
Did you know?
- In Brazilian urban culture, vans are often part of an informal transport network known as transporte alternativo, which operates outside official city bus systems.
- The word furgão is a loanword from the French fourgon, which originally referred to a covered wagon used for transporting goods.
- The term kombi is derived from the word kombination, reflecting the vehicle's original purpose as a combination of a passenger bus and a cargo van.
Examples in context
- Tom carregou a van.Tom loaded the van.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use the verb with van.Tatoeba #6936576 by Ricardo14, translation #2647909 by CK
- Nós carregaremos a van.We'll load the van.This sentence shows the future tense used with van.Tatoeba #9414715 by ajdavidl, translation #3311973 by CK
- Você já dirigiu uma van?Have you ever driven a van?This sentence demonstrates a question involving the word van.Tatoeba #1718537 by alexmarcelo, translation #1717371 by Amastan
- Pedro comprou um furgão novo para seu negócio de entregas.Pedro bought a new van for his delivery business.
- A empresa alugou um veículo utilitário para a mudança de equipamentos.The company rented a utility vehicle for equipment transportation.
- Vamos viajar de van durante as férias!We're going to travel by van during the holidays!
- Vamos viajar de kombi na estrada da costa.We're going to travel by van along the coast road.
- A carrinha da empresa chegará em breve para nos buscar.The company's van will arrive soon to pick us up.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Camila are planning a trip.
- LucasVamos alugar uma van para a viagem?Shall we rent a van for the trip?
- CamilaSim, a van é melhor para levar todos.Yes, the van is better for taking everyone.
- LucasVocê conhece alguma empresa de van?Do you know any van company?
- CamilaEu vou procurar uma van agora.I will look for a van now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “van” translations and entries van, furgão, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries furgão, van, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
