Portuguese · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Television" in Portuguese: televisão

a televisão

Say it: teh-leh-vee-ZOWNfeminine · a televisãonoun/te.le.vi.ˈzɐ̃w̃/

Note: everyday: a TV

Television in Portuguese is a televisão, often shortened to a TV in speech. Turn it on with ligar a TV. Remote control is o controle.

Evening at home

Liguei a televisão para ver o jornal.
I turned on the television to watch the news.
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How to pronounce televisão

Say it

teh-leh-vee-ZOWN

/te.le.vi.ˈzɐ̃w̃/

teh-leh-vee-ZOWN — stress ZOWN nasal.

"Television" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
a televisãotelevision

Full noun.

a TVTV

Everyday short form.

ligar a televisãoto turn on the TV

Daily routine.

na televisãoon television

Programs and news.

How to use televisão in real life

  1. 1Evening at home

    Liguei a televisão para ver o jornal.

    I turned on the television to watch the news.

    Ligar a televisão is the on-switch phrase.

  2. 2Asking preference

    Prefere ver o jogo na televisão ou no celular?

    Do you prefer to watch the game on TV or on your phone?

    Na televisão locates the screen.

  3. 3Moving furniture

    A televisão nova não cabe nessa parede.

    The new television doesn't fit on that wall.

    Talking about the object.

Mistakes English speakers make with televisão

Incorrect: O televisão está alta.

Correct: A televisão está alta.

Televisão is feminine: a televisão.

Incorrect: Vou watch televisão.

Correct: Vou assistir televisão. / Vou ver TV.

Use assistir/ver, not English watch.

Good to know

Brazilians say TV constantly in speech, while televisão still appears in writing and careful talk. Novela culture made a televisão a family gathering point for decades.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing what to watch after dinner

  1. ChatPal

    Quer ligar a televisão ou ouvir música?

    Want to turn on the television or listen to music?

  2. You

    Liga a televisão. Quero um documentário leve.

    Turn on the television. I want a light documentary.

  3. ChatPal

    Achei um na televisão a cabo.

    I found one on cable television.

  4. You

    Perfeito. Baixa um pouco o volume da televisão.

    Perfect. Turn the television volume down a bit.

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"Television" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Television" in Portuguese

Do people say TV or televisão?

Both. TV is more common in casual speech.

How do I say turn on the TV?

Ligar a televisão or ligar a TV.

How do I say on TV?

Na televisão or na TV.

Is televisão feminine?

Yes: a televisão.

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