Portuguese · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Elephant" in Portuguese: elefante

o elefante

Say it: eh-leh-FAN-cheemasculine · o elefantenoun/e.le.ˈfɐn.tʃi/

Elephant in Portuguese is o elefante. A female elephant can be a elefanta. Kids learn it early in zoos and picture books.

Zoo

O elefante estava tomando banho de lama.
The elephant was taking a mud bath.
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How to pronounce elefante

Say it

eh-leh-FAN-chee

/e.le.ˈfɐn.tʃi/

eh-leh-FAN-chee. Soft t before e.

"Elephant" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o elefanteelephant

Default.

a elefantafemale elephant

Feminine form.

filhote de elefanteelephant calf

Young animal.

tromba de elefanteelephant trunk

Body part.

memória de elefanteelephant memory

Idiom for remembering everything.

How to use elefante in real life

  1. 1Zoo

    O elefante estava tomando banho de lama.

    The elephant was taking a mud bath.

    O elefante as subject.

  2. 2Kids' talk

    Na história, o elefante ajuda os outros animais.

    In the story, the elephant helps the other animals.

    Children's narrative.

  3. 3Idiom

    Ela tem memória de elefante para nomes.

    She has an elephant's memory for names.

    Memória de elefante.

Mistakes English speakers make with elefante

Incorrect: A elefante (default).

Correct: O elefante.

Default is masculine o elefante; elefanta is the female form.

Incorrect: Eu vi um elephant.

Correct: Eu vi um elefante.

Use elefante, not English.

Good to know

Elephants are not Brazilian wildlife, so o elefante shows up in zoos, cartoons, and the idiom memória de elefante. Parents use the word constantly with toddlers learning animals.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Watching a nature documentary

  1. ChatPal

    Olha o tamanho desse elefante!

    Look at the size of that elephant!

  2. You

    Incrível. O elefante lidera o grupo todo.

    Amazing. The elephant leads the whole group.

  3. ChatPal

    A elefanta fica perto dos filhotes.

    The female elephant stays near the calves.

  4. You

    Quero ver o elefante de novo no zoológico.

    I want to see the elephant again at the zoo.

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"Elephant" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Elephant" in Portuguese

Elefante or elefanta?

Elefante is default; elefanta for a female.

How do I say elephant trunk?

Tromba de elefante.

What does memória de elefante mean?

Someone who remembers everything.

Masculine or feminine?

Default masculine: o elefante.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

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  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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