Portuguese · People & Family

"Boy" in Portuguese: menino

o menino

Say it: meh-NEE-noomasculine · o meninonoun/me.ˈni.nu/

Note: PT-PT: o rapaz

Boy in Portuguese is o menino. Brazilians also say moleque casually. In Portugal o rapaz is common for a boy or young man.

Park

Aquele menino está andando de bicicleta.
That boy is riding a bicycle.
Practice Portuguese out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce menino

Say it

meh-NEE-noo

/me.ˈni.nu/

meh-NEE-noo

"Boy" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o meninothe boy

Standard Brazilian word.

o molequethe kid / boy (casual)

Informal Brazil.

o rapazthe boy / young man

Common in PT-PT; also Brazil for young man.

menino pequenolittle boy

Age nuance.

How to use menino in real life

  1. 1Park

    Aquele menino está andando de bicicleta.

    That boy is riding a bicycle.

    Aquele menino points someone out.

  2. 2School pickup

    Meu menino sai da escola às quatro.

    My boy gets out of school at four.

    Parents say meu menino.

  3. 3Restaurant

    Tem menu para menino pequeno?

    Is there a menu for a little boy?

    Service question.

Mistakes English speakers make with menino

Incorrect: A menino é alto.

Correct: O menino é alto.

Menino is masculine.

Incorrect: Vi um boy no parque.

Correct: Vi um menino no parque.

Use menino.

Good to know

Menino covers a wide age range in Brazil. Rapaz is the everyday Portugal choice and also appears in Brazilian speech for older teens.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Watching kids at a birthday party

  1. ChatPal

    Qual menino é o aniversariante?

    Which boy is the birthday kid?

  2. You

    O menino de camiseta verde.

    The boy in the green T-shirt.

  3. ChatPal

    Aquele menino corre sem parar.

    That boy runs nonstop.

  4. You

    Sim. O menino tem energia demais.

    Yes. The boy has too much energy.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Boy" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Boy" in Portuguese

Boy in Brazil?

O menino.

Portugal?

Often o rapaz.

Casual Brazil?

Moleque.

Gender?

Masculine: o menino.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Portuguese. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.