Portuguese · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Dolphin" in Portuguese: golfinho

o golfinho

Say it: gol-FEEN-yoomasculine · o golfinhonoun/ɡow.ˈfi.ɲu/

Dolphin in Portuguese is o golfinho. Boat tours and beach stories use it all the time.

Boat tour

Vimos um golfinho perto do barco de manhã.
We saw a dolphin near the boat this morning.
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How to pronounce golfinho

Say it

gol-FEEN-yoo

/ɡow.ˈfi.ɲu/

gol-FEEN-yoo

"Dolphin" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o golfinhothe dolphin

Default noun.

golfinhosdolphins

Plural.

ver golfinhosto see dolphins

Tour activity.

golfinho-nariz-de-garrafabottlenose dolphin

Species name.

How to use golfinho in real life

  1. 1Boat tour

    Vimos um golfinho perto do barco de manhã.

    We saw a dolphin near the boat this morning.

    Sighting.

  2. 2Kids’ book

    A história fala de um golfinho perdido.

    The story is about a lost dolphin.

    Reading.

  3. 3Photo

    Tirei uma foto ruim do golfinho saltando.

    I took a bad photo of the dolphin jumping.

    Camera fail.

Mistakes English speakers make with golfinho

Incorrect: A golfinho é inteligente.

Correct: O golfinho é inteligente.

Golfinho is masculine.

Incorrect: Vi um dolphin ontem.

Correct: Vi um golfinho ontem.

Use golfinho.

Good to know

Coastal Brazil loves golfinho sightings on ferry rides and eco tours. The diminutive -inho is part of the standard word, not baby talk.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

On a coastal ferry

  1. ChatPal

    Olha! Tem um golfinho ali!

    Look! There’s a dolphin over there!

  2. You

    Vi! O golfinho sumiu de novo.

    I saw it! The dolphin disappeared again.

  3. ChatPal

    Espera. Às vezes voltam em grupo.

    Wait. Sometimes they come back in a group.

  4. You

    Estou com a câmera pronta.

    I’ve got the camera ready.

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

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"Dolphin" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Dolphin" in Portuguese

Gender?

Masculine: o golfinho.

Plural?

Os golfinhos.

Pronunciation?

gol-FEEN-yoo.

Dolphin vs shark?

Golfinho vs tubarão.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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