Portuguese · Nature, Animals & Weather

"River" in Portuguese: rio

o rio

Say it: HEE-oomasculine · o rionoun/ˈʁio/

River in Portuguese is o rio. Say à beira do rio for by the river. Brazil's map is full of famous rios.

Sightseeing

O rio corta a cidade no meio.
The river cuts through the middle of the city.
Practice Portuguese out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce rio

Say it

HEE-oo

/ˈʁio/

HEE-oo. Soft r like h in many Brazilian accents.

"River" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o riothe river

Standard noun.

à beira do rioby the riverside

Location.

rio grandebig river

Description; also place names.

cruzar o rioto cross the river

Travel.

How to use rio in real life

  1. 1Sightseeing

    O rio corta a cidade no meio.

    The river cuts through the middle of the city.

    O rio as subject.

  2. 2Picnic plan

    Vamos almoçar à beira do rio.

    Let's have lunch by the river.

    À beira do rio.

  3. 3Kayak day

    O rio está calmo hoje de manhã.

    The river is calm this morning.

    Weather/water conditions.

Mistakes English speakers make with rio

Incorrect: A rio é largo.

Correct: O rio é largo.

Rio is masculine.

Incorrect: Nadamos no river.

Correct: Nadamos no rio.

Use rio.

Good to know

Rio means river and is also the nickname for Rio de Janeiro. Context usually clarifies whether you mean the city or an actual rio.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a picnic spot

  1. ChatPal

    Prefere o parque ou a beira do rio?

    Do you prefer the park or the riverside?

  2. You

    A beira do rio. Quero ver a água.

    The riverside. I want to see the water.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. Esse rio tem sombra à tarde.

    Okay. This river has shade in the afternoon.

  4. You

    Perfeito. Levamos cadeira perto do rio.

    Perfect. We'll take chairs near the river.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"River" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "River" in Portuguese

River?

O rio.

By the river?

À beira do rio.

City nickname?

Rio can also mean Rio de Janeiro.

Gender?

Masculine: o rio.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Portuguese. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.