Portuguese · Travel & Getting Around

"Boat" in Portuguese: barco

o barco

Say it: BAR-koomasculine · o barconoun/ˈbaʁ.ku/

Boat in Portuguese is o barco. A small boat trip is passeio de barco. Ship is often navio; canoe may be canoa.

Vacation

Amanhã fazemos um passeio de barco na baía.
Tomorrow we're taking a boat trip on the bay.
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How to pronounce barco

Say it

BAR-koo

/ˈbaʁ.ku/

BAR-koo. Stress on BAR.

"Boat" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o barcoboat

Default.

passeio de barcoboat trip

Tourism.

barco a motormotorboat

Type.

de barcoby boat

Transport.

navioship

Larger vessel.

How to use barco in real life

  1. 1Vacation

    Amanhã fazemos um passeio de barco na baía.

    Tomorrow we're taking a boat trip on the bay.

    Passeio de barco.

  2. 2Transport

    para chegar na ilha de barco.

    You can reach the island only by boat.

    De barco.

  3. 3Harbor

    O barco pequeno balança mais com o vento.

    The small boat rocks more with the wind.

    O barco.

Mistakes English speakers make with barco

Incorrect: A barco.

Correct: O barco.

Barco is masculine.

Incorrect: Vamos de boat.

Correct: Vamos de barco.

Use barco, not English boat.

Good to know

Coastal and river cities live on barco routines—ferries, fishing boats, and tourist passeios. For big ocean liners people usually say navio. In Amazônia, boats are everyday transport, not just leisure.

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Booking a bay tour

  1. ChatPal

    O barco sai às dez ou às onze?

    Does the boat leave at ten or eleven?

  2. You

    Às dez. O barco inclui colete salva-vidas.

    At ten. The boat includes a life jacket.

  3. ChatPal

    Ótimo. Mare calma ajuda o barco.

    Great. Calm seas help the boat.

  4. You

    Sim. Sem onda forte o barco fica confortável.

    Yes. Without strong waves the boat stays comfortable.

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"Boat" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Boat" in Portuguese

Barco vs navio?

Barco is boat; navio is usually a larger ship.

How do I say by boat?

De barco.

Boat trip?

Passeio de barco.

Masculine or feminine?

Masculine: o barco.

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