urubu
/u.ɾuˈbu/masculine
The English word 'vulture' is translated into Portuguese as urubu or abutre.
Meaning: bird (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| urubu | /u.ɾuˈbu/ (Brazil) /u.ɾuˈbu/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| abutre | /aˈbu.tɾi/ (Brazil) /ɐˈbu.tɾɨ/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
Both terms refer to the bird. In Brazilian Portuguese, urubu is also used as a slang term for a person who acts like a scavenger or someone who profits from the misfortune of others.
Which one should you use?
abutre is a more formal or scientific term for the bird, while urubu is the common, everyday term used in Brazil.
Is it said differently in some regions?
urubu is the common term used in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both abutre and urubu are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /u.ɾuˈbu/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazilian football culture, the urubu is the official mascot of Flamengo, one of the most popular clubs in the world.
- While abutre is a direct descendant of the Latin 'vulturem', the common term urubu comes from the indigenous Tupi language.
- In some Brazilian regions, seeing an urubu circling overhead is traditionally viewed as an omen of death or bad luck.
Examples in context
- A águia, rei dos pássaros, olha para o sol. O abutre e o corvo alimentam-se da carniça. O milhafre procura as galinhas.The eagle, king of birds, looks on the sun. The vulture and the raven feed on carrion. The kite pursues chickens.This sentence demonstrates the use of abutre in a context involving different types of birds feeding on carrion.Tatoeba #10763813 by Cangarejo, translation #7351110 by jimkillock
- De facto, o abutre presta um verdadeiro serviço a este respeito, pois ele elimina a carniça nos países quentes em que habita, que de outro modo putrificaria e infectaria o ar.Indeed the vulture is of real service in this respect, for he clears the carrion away from the hot countries he inhabits, which would otherwise putrify and infect the air.This sentence shows how abutre is used to describe the bird's ecological service in clearing carrion.Tatoeba #11602094 by Cangarejo, translation #11602093 by Cangarejo
- O Tântalo, apesar da sua sede, interrompeu por um momento os seus esforços para obter água, a roda do Íxion deteve-se, o abutre cessou de dilacerar o fígado do gigante, as filhas do Dánao descansaram da sua tarefa de recolher água em peneiras e o Sísifo sentou-se na sua rocha para ouvir.Tantalus, in spite of his thirst, stopped for a moment his efforts for water, Ixion's wheel stood still, the vulture ceased to tear the giant's liver, the daughters of Danaus rested from their task of drawing water in a sieve, and Sisyphus sat on his rock to listen.This sentence uses abutre within a mythological context involving the tearing of a liver.Tatoeba #10756625 by Cangarejo, translation #7547832 by Hybrid
- O abutre é uma espécie de ave de rapina que se alimenta principalmente de carcaças.The vulture is a species of bird of prey that mainly feeds on carrion.
- Olha só aquele urubu voando alto no céu!Look at that vulture flying high in the sky!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are observing wildlife on a safari.
- CamilaOlha aquele urubu no céu, Gabriel!Look at that vulture in the sky, Gabriel!
- GabrielÉ um urubu bem grande.It is a very large vulture.
- CamilaEle está voando sobre a savana.It is flying over the savanna.
- GabrielA natureza é impressionante.Nature is impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vulture” translations and entries urubu, abutre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abutre, urubu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
