Portuguese · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Donkey" in Portuguese: burro

o burro

Say it: BOO-hoomasculine · o burronoun/ˈbu.ʁu/

Note: also: o jumento

Donkey in Portuguese is o burro. Jumento is another animal word. Calling a person burro means stupid—use carefully; with animals it’s neutral.

Farm visit

O burro carregava cestas no caminho de terra.
The donkey carried baskets on the dirt path.
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How to pronounce burro

Say it

BOO-hoo

/ˈbu.ʁu/

BOO-hoo

"Donkey" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o burrothe donkey

Default noun (also insult).

o jumentothe donkey

Alternate animal word.

burrafemale donkey / insult (f)

Gendered forms.

teimoso como burrostubborn as a donkey

Metaphor.

How to use burro in real life

  1. 1Farm visit

    O burro carregava cestas no caminho de terra.

    The donkey carried baskets on the dirt path.

    Animal.

  2. 2Kids’ book

    Na fábula, o burro aprende uma lição.

    In the fable, the donkey learns a lesson.

    Story.

  3. 3Rural tourism

    As crianças queriam alimentar o burro.

    The kids wanted to feed the donkey.

    Tour.

Mistakes English speakers make with burro

Incorrect: A burro é cinza.

Correct: O burro é cinza.

Burro (male animal) is masculine; burra is female.

Incorrect: Vi um donkey ontem.

Correct: Vi um burro ontem.

Use burro or jumento, not English donkey.

Good to know

Burro is fine for the animal and harsh as a personal insult. Teachers still scold kids for calling classmates burro. Jumento can sound more rural or old-fashioned for the animal.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

At a petting farm

  1. ChatPal

    Quer tirar foto com o burro?

    Want to take a photo with the donkey?

  2. You

    Quero. O burro parece manso.

    Yes. The donkey seems tame.

  3. ChatPal

    O guia disse que o burro adora cenoura.

    The guide said the donkey loves carrot.

  4. You

    Então compramos uma na entrada.

    Then let’s buy one at the entrance.

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"Donkey" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Donkey" in Portuguese

Animal word?

O burro; also o jumento.

Insult?

Calling a person burro means stupid—avoid it.

Female donkey?

A burra.

Gender of male animal?

Masculine: o burro.

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