Portuguese · Home, Clothes & Daily Life
"Bag" in Portuguese: bolsa
a bolsa
Note: plastic bag: a sacola; PT-PT: o saco
Bag in Portuguese is a bolsa for handbags and many personal bags. A plastic shopping bag is a sacola; European Portuguese often uses o saco.
Leaving home
Peguei a bolsa e as chaves na saída.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce bolsa
Say it
BOHL-sah
/ˈbow.sa/
BOHL-sah
"Bag" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| a bolsa | bag / handbag / purse Default Brazilian noun. | Default Brazilian noun. |
| bolsa de ombro | shoulder bag Style. | Style. |
| a sacola | shopping / plastic bag Groceries. | Groceries. |
| o saco (PT-PT) | bag (Portugal) European Portuguese. | European Portuguese. |
How to use bolsa in real life
- 1Leaving home
Peguei a bolsa e as chaves na saída.
I grabbed the bag and the keys on the way out.
Bolsa.
- 2Café
Sua bolsa está embaixo da cadeira.
Your bag is under the chair.
Location.
- 3Gift
Ganhei uma bolsa nova no aniversário.
I got a new bag for my birthday.
Present.
Mistakes English speakers make with bolsa
Incorrect: O bolsa está pesada.
Correct: A bolsa está pesada.
Bolsa is feminine.
Incorrect: Me passa o saco (Brazil handbag)
Correct: Me passa a bolsa
Brazil: bolsa for handbags; saco is more PT-PT or other bag types.
Good to know
Bolsa covers purses and many personal bags. Sacola is the supermarket carry bag. Mochila is backpack. In Portugal, saco is a common general bag word—keep that as a regional note.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Finding a bag before leaving a café
ChatPal
Cadê a sua bolsa preta?
Where’s your black bag?
You
A bolsa está no balcão?
Is the bag on the counter?
ChatPal
Achei. Sua bolsa estava na cadeira.
Found it. Your bag was on the chair.
You
Ufa. Quase esqueci.
Phew. I almost forgot it.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Bag" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Bag" in Portuguese
Handbag?
A bolsa.
Plastic bag?
A sacola.
Portugal?
O saco is common PT-PT.
Backpack?
A mochila.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
