Portuguese · Travel & Getting Around

"Airplane" in Portuguese: avião

o avião

Say it: ah-vee-OW̃masculine · o aviãonoun/a.ˈviɐ̃.u/

Plane in Portuguese is o avião, masculine with a nasal ão. Say de avião for by plane. A flight is um voo, while the machine itself stays o avião.

Travel plans

Vou de avião para Salvador na sexta.
I'm going by plane to Salvador on Friday.
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How to pronounce avião

Say it

ah-vee-OW̃

/a.ˈviɐ̃.u/

ah-vee-OW̃. Stress the final nasal ão.

"Airplane" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o aviãoplane, airplane

The aircraft itself.

de aviãoby plane

Travel method.

o vooflight

The scheduled journey.

embarcar no aviãoto board the plane

At the gate.

aviãozinholittle plane

Affectionate or small aircraft talk.

How to use avião in real life

  1. 1Travel plans

    Vou de avião para Salvador na sexta.

    I'm going by plane to Salvador on Friday.

    De avião marks the transport.

  2. 2At the gate

    O avião está no portão nove.

    The plane is already at gate nine.

    Avião is the machine at the gate.

  3. 3Nervous flyer

    Eu fico nervoso antes de entrar no avião.

    I get nervous before getting on the plane.

    Entrar no avião means to board.

Mistakes English speakers make with avião

Incorrect: A avião é grande.

Correct: O avião é grande.

Avião is masculine: o avião.

Incorrect: Meu avião sai às dez (when you mean flight)

Correct: Meu voo sai às dez.

Use voo for the scheduled flight; avião is the aircraft.

Good to know

Domestic flying is common across Brazil's long distances. People say pegar um avião casually for catching a flight. Portugal uses avião too; the flight is still voo.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Waiting at the boarding gate

  1. ChatPal

    Nosso avião atrasou quinze minutos.

    Our plane is fifteen minutes late.

  2. You

    Sem problema. Prefiro um avião revisado com calma.

    No problem. I prefer a carefully checked plane.

  3. ChatPal

    Verdade. Quando o avião abrir o embarque, a gente sobe.

    True. When the plane opens boarding, we get on.

  4. You

    Combinado. Quero janela neste avião.

    Deal. I want a window on this plane.

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"Airplane" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Airplane" in Portuguese

What is the difference between avião and voo?

Avião is the aircraft. Voo is the flight as a trip or schedule.

How do I say by plane?

De avião. Example: Viajamos de avião.

How do I say board the plane?

Embarcar no avião or entrar no avião.

Is avião used in Portugal?

Yes. Same word for airplane.

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