Portuguese · People & Family

"Grandparents" in Portuguese: avós

os avós

Say it: ooz ah-VOHSmasculine plural · os avósnoun/ˈos a.ˈvɔs/

Grandparents in Portuguese is os avós. Avô is grandfather, avó is grandmother, and avós covers both together.

Sunday plans

No domingo almoço com os avós na casa deles.
On Sunday I have lunch with my grandparents at their place.
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How to pronounce avós

Say it

ooz ah-VOHS

/ˈos a.ˈvɔs/

ooz ah-VOHS

"Grandparents" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
os avósthe grandparents

Default plural.

meus avósmy grandparents

Possessive.

os avós maternosmaternal grandparents

Mother's side.

visitar os avósto visit the grandparents

Common collocation.

How to use avós in real life

  1. 1Sunday plans

    No domingo almoço com os avós na casa deles.

    On Sunday I have lunch with my grandparents at their place.

    Avós plural.

  2. 2Photo album

    Nesta foto os avós ainda moravam no interior.

    In this photo the grandparents still lived inland.

    Past life.

  3. 3School project

    Vou entrevistar os avós sobre a infância deles.

    I'm going to interview the grandparents about their childhood.

    Homework.

Mistakes English speakers make with avós

Incorrect: Os grandparents.

Correct: Os avós.

Avós is the word—keep the accent.

Incorrect: Os avô.

Correct: Os avós.

Plural avós for grandparents as a pair.

Good to know

Many Brazilian families stay close to os avós—Sunday lunch, childcare help, and WhatsApp sticker floods. Avô/avó nicknames like vô and vó are affectionate everyday forms.

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Planning a weekend visit to the grandparents

  1. ChatPal

    Os avós pediram visita.

    The grandparents asked for a visit.

  2. You

    Vamos. Levo bolo pros avós?

    Let's go. Should I bring cake for the grandparents?

  3. ChatPal

    Leva sim—eles adoram.

    Yes—bring it; they love it.

  4. You

    Combinado. Aviso os avós que chegamos às onze.

    Deal. I'll tell the grandparents we'll arrive at eleven.

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"Grandparents" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Grandparents" in Portuguese

Grandfather only?

O avô (vô).

Grandmother only?

A avó (vó).

Accent?

Avós has the open ó sound—don't drop the accent in writing.

Great-grandparents?

Os bisavós.

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