Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions
"Cold" in Portuguese: frio/a
frio/a
Cold in Portuguese is frio or fria. Weather and objects use está frio / está fria. When you feel cold, say estou com frio, not estou frio.
Winter morning
Hoje está frio demais para sair sem casaco.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce frio/a
Say it
FREE-oo / FREE-ah
/ˈfɾio/, /ˈfɾia/
FREE-oo / FREE-ah. Clear ee sound.
"Cold" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| frio / fria | cold Adjective; agree with gender. | Adjective; agree with gender. |
| está frio | it's cold Weather or a masculine thing. | Weather or a masculine thing. |
| estou com frio | I feel cold Body sensation. | Body sensation. |
| água fria | cold water Drinks and showers. | Drinks and showers. |
| muito frio | very cold Stronger weather talk. | Stronger weather talk. |
How to use frio/a in real life
- 1Winter morning
Hoje está frio demais para sair sem casaco.
It's too cold today to go out without a coat.
Está frio for weather.
- 2Feeling chilly
Estou com frio. Fecha a janela, por favor?
I'm cold. Can you close the window, please?
Estou com frio is the body phrase.
- 3Drink order
Quero água bem fria, sem gelo.
I want very cold water, no ice.
Fria agrees with água.
Mistakes English speakers make with frio/a
Incorrect: Eu estou frio.
Correct: Eu estou com frio.
Feeling cold uses estar com frio. Estou frio sounds like your body is cold to the touch.
Incorrect: A água está frio.
Correct: A água está fria.
Agree the adjective: água is feminine, so fria.
Good to know
In much of Brazil frio is relative—people in Rio may call 18°C freezing. Estou com frio is the standard comfort complaint. For a cold as in illness, use um resfriado, not frio alone.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Sharing a blanket on the sofa
ChatPal
Você está com frio?
Are you cold?
You
Estou. Está frio neste canto.
I am. It's cold in this corner.
ChatPal
Quer um chá? A bebida não está fria.
Want tea? The drink isn't cold.
You
Quero. Esse vento deixou tudo frio.
Yes. That wind made everything cold.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Cold" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Cold" in Portuguese
Weather: it's cold?
Está frio.
I feel cold?
Estou com frio.
Cold water?
Água fria.
Gender forms?
Frio (m), fria (f); frios / frias in the plural.
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
