Portuguese · Body & Health

"Patient" in Portuguese: paciente

o/a paciente

Say it: pah-see-EN-cheemasculine / feminine · o/a pacientenoun/ˈo/

A patient in Portuguese is o paciente or a paciente. Hospitals say o paciente da sala 2 without changing the adjective ending.

Clinic hallway

O paciente da consulta das dez chegou.
The ten o'clock patient has already arrived.
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How to pronounce paciente

Say it

pah-see-EN-chee

/ˈo/

pah-see-EN-chee

"Patient" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o pacientethe (male) patient

Masculine article.

a pacientethe (female) patient

Feminine article; same noun form.

paciente internoinpatient

Hospital stay.

próximo pacientenext patient

Waiting-room call.

How to use paciente in real life

  1. 1Clinic hallway

    O paciente da consulta das dez chegou.

    The ten o'clock patient has already arrived.

    Masculine article.

  2. 2Nurse update

    A paciente está estável depois do exame.

    The patient is stable after the exam.

    Feminine article.

  3. 3Waiting room

    Chamaram o próximo paciente pelo alto-falante.

    They called the next patient over the speaker.

    Queue.

Mistakes English speakers make with paciente

Incorrect: O patient precisa de água.

Correct: O paciente precisa de água.

Use paciente, not English patient.

Incorrect: A pacienta chegou.

Correct: A paciente chegou.

The noun stays paciente; only the article changes.

Good to know

Paciente is the same shape for men and women—gender shows in o/a. In everyday talk it rarely means 'patient' as in calm; that sense is more paciente as an adjective with estar paciente.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Helping at a clinic front desk

  1. ChatPal

    O paciente do Dr. Lima está aí?

    Is Dr. Lima's patient here?

  2. You

    Sim. A paciente ao lado também espera.

    Yes. The patient next to him is also waiting.

  3. ChatPal

    Chama o paciente da sala três primeiro.

    Call the room-three patient first.

  4. You

    chamo.

    I'll call now.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Patient" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Patient" in Portuguese

O or a paciente?

Match the person's gender with the article; the noun stays paciente.

Does the ending change?

No—paciente for both.

Next patient?

Próximo paciente / próxima paciente.

Calm/patient meaning?

Different use of the adjective; this entry is the medical noun.

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