Portuguese · Body & Health
"Ear" in Portuguese: orelha
a orelha
Note: inner ear: o ouvido
Ear as the outer ear in Portuguese is a orelha. Inner-ear problems and hearing often use o ouvido: Dor de ouvido. For earrings you will hear brinco na orelha.
Putting on earrings
Esse brinco fica lindo na sua orelha.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce orelha
Say it
o-REL-yah
/oˈɾe.ʎa/
o-REL-yah. The lh sounds like the lli in million.
"Ear" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| a orelha | the (outer) ear Visible ear; earrings; animals. | Visible ear; earrings; animals. |
| o ouvido | the (inner) ear / hearing Pain, infection, listening sense. | Pain, infection, listening sense. |
| dor de ouvido | earache Health phrase with ouvido. | Health phrase with ouvido. |
| orelhão | pay phone (Brazil) Old-fashioned public phone nickname. | Old-fashioned public phone nickname. |
How to use orelha in real life
- 1Putting on earrings
Esse brinco fica lindo na sua orelha.
That earring looks lovely on your ear.
Jewelry talk uses orelha.
- 2Swimming warning
Seque bem a orelha depois da piscina.
Dry your ear well after the pool.
Outer-ear care names a orelha.
- 3Pet talk
O cachorro abaixou a orelha quando ouviu o trovão.
The dog lowered its ear when it heard thunder.
Animals' orelhas are visual.
Mistakes English speakers make with orelha
Incorrect: o orelha
Correct: a orelha
Orelha is feminine: a orelha.
Incorrect: dor de orelha (for an earache)
Correct: dor de ouvido
Earaches usually use ouvido, not orelha.
Good to know
Brazilian Portuguese splits ear talk: orelha for the flap you can touch, ouvido for hearing and infections. Orelhão still names those giant public phone shells in older stories, even as smartphones took over.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Helping a friend with an earring back
ChatPal
A trava caiu atrás da sua orelha?
Did the back fall behind your ear?
You
Acho que sim. Olha atrás da orelha esquerda.
I think so. Look behind the left ear.
ChatPal
Achei! Segura a orelha um segundo.
Found it! Hold the ear a second.
You
Pronto. Muito obrigada!
Done. Thank you so much!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Ear" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Ear" in Portuguese
Orelha or ouvido?
Orelha is the outer ear. Ouvido is the inner ear and the sense of hearing.
How do I say earache?
Dor de ouvido.
Is orelha feminine?
Yes: a orelha.
What is orelhão?
A Brazilian nickname for those big public pay-phone booths.
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
