Portuguese · People & Family

"Sweetheart (honey)" in Portuguese: querido/a

querido/a

Say it: keh-REE-doo / keh-REE-dahnoun/ke.ˈɾi.du/, /ke.ˈɾi.da/

Note: also: meu bem

Sweetheart in Portuguese is querido (m) or querida (f). Partners and family say Oi, querida. Meu bem is a close alternative with the same warm tone.

Morning wake-up

Bom dia, querida. Café está pronto.
Good morning, sweetheart. Coffee is ready.
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How to pronounce querido/a

Say it

keh-REE-doo / keh-REE-dah

/ke.ˈɾi.du/, /ke.ˈɾi.da/

keh-REE-doo / keh-REE-dah. Stress REE.

"Sweetheart (honey)" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
querido / queridasweetheart / dear

Affectionate address.

meu queridomy dear (m)

Warm address.

minha queridamy dear (f)

Warm address.

meu bemhoney / my dear

Close synonym.

querido(a) no e-maildear in email

Also formal letter opener.

How to use querido/a in real life

  1. 1Morning wake-up

    Bom dia, querida. Café está pronto.

    Good morning, sweetheart. Coffee is ready.

    Querida as address.

  2. 2Soft thanks

    Obrigada, meu querido. Você ajudou muito.

    Thanks, my dear. You helped a lot.

    Meu querido.

  3. 3Text closing

    Beijos, querida. Te vejo já.

    Kisses, sweetheart. See you soon.

    Closing affection.

Mistakes English speakers make with querido/a

Incorrect: Oi, sweetheart!

Correct: Oi, querido! / Oi, querida!

Use querido/a, not English sweetheart.

Incorrect: Minha querido chegou.

Correct: Meu querido chegou. / Minha querida chegou.

Match gender: meu querido, minha querida.

Good to know

Querido/a can be romantic, parental, or politely distant in emails (Prezado/Querido). Tone and relationship decide. Among couples it sits next to meu amor and meu bem as everyday honey language.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Couple leaving the house

  1. ChatPal

    Querida, pegou as chaves?

    Sweetheart, did you grab the keys?

  2. You

    Peguei, querido. Vamos?

    I did, sweetheart. Shall we?

  3. ChatPal

    Vamos. Você está linda, querida.

    Let's go. You look lovely, sweetheart.

  4. You

    Valeu, querido. Tranca a porta.

    Thanks, sweetheart. Lock the door.

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"Sweetheart (honey)" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Sweetheart (honey)" in Portuguese

Querido or querida?

Match the person: querido (m), querida (f).

Synonym?

Meu bem, meu amor.

Okay in email?

Yes as a greeting, sometimes formal.

Too intimate for strangers?

Yes—save for close relationships unless writing mail.

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