Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions
"Poor" in Portuguese: pobre
pobre
Poor in Portuguese is pobre for any gender. It describes money hardship and, with care, can sound sympathetic rather than insulting.
News discussion
Muitas famílias pobres precisam de apoio.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pobre
Say it
POH-bree
/ˈpo.bɾi/
POH-bree
"Poor" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| pobre | poor Same form for masculine/feminine. | Same form for masculine/feminine. |
| os pobres | the poor (people) Group noun. | Group noun. |
| pobre de mim | poor me Self-pity joke. | Self-pity joke. |
| ficar pobre | to become poor Money loss talk. | Money loss talk. |
How to use pobre in real life
- 1News discussion
Muitas famílias pobres precisam de apoio.
Many poor families need support.
Neutral descriptive use.
- 2After bills
Este mês eu estou pobre demais para viajar.
This month I'm too poor to travel.
Casual self-description.
- 3Sympathy
Pobre dele—perdeu o emprego ontem.
Poor him—he lost his job yesterday.
Pobre de + pronoun.
Mistakes English speakers make with pobre
Incorrect: Ela é poor.
Correct: Ela é pobre.
Use pobre.
Incorrect: Um pobre mulher.
Correct: Uma mulher pobre.
Pobre usually follows the noun here; match articles.
Good to know
Calling someone pobre about money can sting—use it carefully about other people. Pobre dele/dela as sympathy is common and softer. Social programs and solidarity talk often use famílias pobres in news language.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Skipping an expensive dinner
ChatPal
Aquele restaurante é caro. Estou pobre este mês.
That restaurant is expensive. I'm poor this month.
You
Eu também estou pobre—vamos de boteco?
I'm poor too—shall we do a simple bar?
ChatPal
Perfeito. Lá o prato feito é justo.
Perfect. The set lunch plate there is fair.
You
Fechado.
Deal.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Poor" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Poor" in Portuguese
Gender forms?
Pobre stays the same; plurals are pobres.
Poor thing?
Pobre dele / pobre dela.
Broke this month?
Estou pobre / sem grana.
Poverty?
A pobreza.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
