Portuguese · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Frog" in Portuguese: sapo

o sapo

Say it: SAH-poomasculine · o saponoun/ˈsa.pu/

Note: also: a rã

Frog in Portuguese is usually o sapo in everyday Brazilian talk. A rã is also a frog/toad-type amphibian you’ll hear in nature contexts.

Rainy garden

Tem um sapo enorme perto da torneira.
There’s a huge frog near the faucet.
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How to pronounce sapo

Say it

SAH-poo

/ˈsa.pu/

SAH-poo. Open a.

"Frog" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o sapothe frog / toad (everyday)

Default casual word.

a rãthe frog

Also common; often smoother-skinned frogs.

sapinholittle frog

Cute diminutive.

coaxarto croak

Related sound verb.

How to use sapo in real life

  1. 1Rainy garden

    Tem um sapo enorme perto da torneira.

    There’s a huge frog near the faucet.

    Sighting.

  2. 2Kids’ book

    Na história, o sapo vira príncipe no final.

    In the story, the frog turns into a prince at the end.

    Fairy tale.

  3. 3Night noise

    Os sapos não param de cantar depois da chuva.

    The frogs won’t stop singing after the rain.

    Plural soundscape.

Mistakes English speakers make with sapo

Incorrect: A sapo pulou.

Correct: O sapo pulou.

Sapo is masculine.

Incorrect: Vi um frog no lago.

Correct: Vi um sapo no lago.

Use sapo.

Good to know

Brazilians often say sapo for frogs and toad-like amphibians in casual speech; rã appears in biology and some regions. Fairy tales still use o sapo for the prince story.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Exploring a pond with a child

  1. ChatPal

    Olha o sapo verde na folha!

    Look at the green frog on the leaf!

  2. You

    Quietinho senão o sapo pula na água.

    Softly — otherwise the frog jumps in the water.

  3. ChatPal

    Posso fotografar o sapo de longe?

    Can I photograph the frog from far away?

  4. You

    Pode. Sem flash, por favor.

    Yes. No flash, please.

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"Frog" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Frog" in Portuguese

Sapo or rã?

Sapo is the everyday default; rã is also correct.

Gender?

O sapo (masculine).

Plural?

Os sapos.

Diminutive?

Sapinho.

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