erva daninha
/ˈɛʁ.vɐ dɐ̃ˈnĩ.ɲɐ/
The English word "weed" can be translated into Portuguese as erva daninha or mato.
Meaning: unwanted plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| erva daninha | /ˈɛʁ.vɐ dɐ̃ˈnĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) |
| mato | /ˈma.tu/ (Brazil) /ˈma.tu/ (Portugal) |
In a botanical or agricultural context, use these terms to describe unwanted plants. If you are talking about the action of removing weeds from a field or garden, typically using a hoe, you can use the verb capinar.
What does it mean word for word?
The term erva daninha literally means "harmful herb", composed of erva (herb or grass) and daninha (harmful or nuisance).
Which one should you use?
Erva daninha refers specifically to a plant that is a nuisance in a garden or crop, whereas mato is a more general term for wild, uncultivated vegetation, brush or scrub.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase in plural, both the noun and the adjective take the plural suffix: ervas daninhas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛʁ.vɐ dɐ̃ˈnĩ.ɲɐ/
Did you know?
- While erva daninha means 'weed' in a garden, the word erva on its own is the most common slang term for marijuana in Brazil.
- In a Brazilian context, if someone says they are 'no mato', it often means they are out in the wild or in a remote, rural area, rather than just surrounded by weeds.
- The word erva is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'herb', both descending from the same ancient root meaning 'to grow'.
Examples in context
- Menta cresce como erva daninha.Mint grows like a weed.This example shows how to use erva daninha to describe rapid growth.Tatoeba #7901693 by piterkeo, translation #7876047 by CK
- A seca não é o único inimigo. A Striga é uma erva daninha parasita a que os africanos chamam vulgarmente erva-de-bruxa. A planta ataca o sorgo e outras culturas e rouba água e nutrientes às raízes.Drought is not the only enemy. Striga is a parasitic weed that Africans commonly call witchweed. The plant attacks sorghum and other crops and steals water and nutrients from the roots.This example uses erva daninha to describe a specific parasitic plant.Tatoeba #12282323 by Cangarejo, translation #12282322 by Cangarejo
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are working in the backyard.
- CamilaLucas, você pode me ajudar com o jardim?Lucas, can you help me with the garden?
- LucasClaro, o que eu preciso fazer?Sure, what do I need to do?
- CamilaPreciso que você arranque essa erva daninha.I need you to pull this weed.
- LucasEstá bem, eu faço isso agora.Okay, I'll do it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weed” translations and entries erva daninha, mato, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries erva, mato, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
