parentes en 30 secondes
- Parentes means relatives, not parents.
- Includes cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.
- Can also be an adjective meaning 'related'.
- Essential for discussing family in Portuguese.
The Portuguese word parentes is one of the most notorious 'false friends' for English speakers. While it looks identical to the English word 'parents,' its meaning is significantly broader. In Portuguese, parentes refers to your relatives or extended family members, including cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents. If you want to specifically refer to your mother and father, the correct word is pais. Understanding this distinction is crucial for basic social interactions in Lusophone cultures.
- Core Definition
- Individuals related by blood or marriage, encompassing the entire family tree beyond the immediate nuclear unit.
- Adjectival Use
- Though primarily a noun, it can function adjectivally to describe things that are 'related' or 'kindred,' such as línguas parentes (related languages).
- Grammatical Number
- It is the plural form of parente. In Portuguese, the masculine plural 'parentes' is used for a mixed-gender group of relatives.
"Eu tenho muitos parentes que moram no interior de Portugal, mas meus pais vivem em Lisboa."
"Todos os meus parentes próximos foram convidados para o casamento."
"Ela não é minha irmã, somos apenas parentes distantes."
"O DNA revelou que eles são parentes de terceiro grau."
"As baleias e os golfinhos são animais parentes."
Using parentes correctly requires navigating the hierarchy of family terms in Portuguese. It is a collective noun that groups everyone from your great-grandmother to your second cousin twice removed. It is most frequently used when talking about family gatherings, genealogy, or general family status.
- With Adjectives: You will often see it paired with próximos (close) or distantes (distant). Parentes próximos usually includes uncles, aunts, and first cousins.
- With Verbs: Common verbs include visitar (to visit), reunir (to gather), and descobrir (to discover).
- In Legal Contexts: The term is used to define 'graus de parentesco' (degrees of kinship), which is vital for inheritance laws.
Sentence Structures
Here is how you build sentences with 'parentes':
[Subject] + [Verb] + [Possessive] + parentesExample: Eu visitei meus parentes no Natal.
When used as an adjective, it follows the noun it modifies and agrees in number. For example, espécies parentes (related species). It implies a shared origin or a common ancestor. In everyday speech, however, 90% of the usage will be as a noun referring to family members.
You will encounter parentes in a variety of social and professional settings. It is a standard, neutral word suitable for both formal and informal registers.
Family Events
At weddings, funerals, or birthday parties, people will often ask: "Quantos parentes vieram?" (How many relatives came?)
Legal & Administrative
When filling out forms for visas or insurance, you might see a section for "parentes próximos" (next of kin).
News & Media
Journalists use it when reporting on people involved in events: "Os parentes da vítima pediram justiça."
Scientific Research
In biology or linguistics, describing related entities: "Estas duas línguas são parentes próximas."
In Brazilian Portuguese, you might also hear the slang 'parentada' to refer to the whole group of relatives in a slightly more informal or sometimes overwhelmed tone (e.g., 'A parentada toda apareceu sem avisar!').
The False Friend Trap
The most frequent error is using parentes when you mean parents. This is a classic interference from English. Because the words look so similar, the brain defaults to the English meaning.
❌ Incorrect: Eu moro com meus parentes, minha mãe e meu pai.
✅ Correct: Eu moro com meus pais.
❌ Incorrect: Meus parentes são muito rigorosos comigo.
✅ Correct: Meus pais são muito rigorosos comigo.
Another mistake is forgetting that parentes is a gender-neutral plural for a mixed group. While parente (singular) is technically masculine, it is used for any relative regardless of gender unless you specify 'uma parente' (a female relative). However, in the plural, 'os parentes' always covers everyone.
While parentes is the general term, several other words can be used depending on the context and the level of closeness.
- Familiares
- A more formal synonym. Often used in medical or legal contexts. "Apenas familiares podem entrar na UTI."
- Família
- The broad concept of family. While 'parentes' refers to the individuals, 'família' refers to the unit.
- Chegados
- Informal term for close friends who are treated like family. "Eles não são parentes, mas são muito chegados."
- Consanguíneos
- Technical/Legal term for blood relatives.
Understanding these nuances helps you sound more natural. For instance, using 'familiares' in a hospital setting sounds more professional than 'parentes'.
How Formal Is It?
Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
Pluralization of nouns ending in 'e'.
Agreement of possessive adjectives.
Use of 'por parte de' for family sides.
Masculine plural for mixed groups.
Adjective placement after the noun.
Exemples par niveau
Eu tenho muitos parentes.
I have many relatives.
Plural noun.
Meus parentes moram no Brasil.
My relatives live in Brazil.
Possessive 'meus' matches 'parentes'.
Você tem parentes em Portugal?
Do you have relatives in Portugal?
Interrogative sentence.
Ela visita os parentes no domingo.
She visits the relatives on Sunday.
Present tense verb 'visita'.
O João é meu parente.
João is my relative.
Singular form 'parente'.
Nós somos parentes.
We are relatives.
Verb 'ser' in plural.
Meus parentes são legais.
My relatives are nice.
Adjective 'legais' matches plural.
Onde estão seus parentes?
Where are your relatives?
Question word 'Onde'.
Eu tenho parentes próximos e distantes.
I have close and distant relatives.
Adjectives 'próximos' and 'distantes'.
Meus parentes vêm para o jantar.
My relatives are coming for dinner.
Irregular verb 'vir' in plural 'vêm'.
Ela não conhece todos os seus parentes.
She doesn't know all of her relatives.
Negative construction.
Eles são parentes por parte de mãe.
They are relatives on the mother's side.
Prepositional phrase 'por parte de'.
Quantos parentes você convidou?
How many relatives did you invite?
Quantifier 'Quantos'.
Meus parentes moram longe daqui.
My relatives live far from here.
Adverb 'longe'.
Eu gosto de reunir meus parentes.
I like to gather my relatives.
Infinitive verb 'reunir'.
Nenhum dos meus parentes fala inglês.
None of my relatives speak English.
Pronoun 'Nenhum'.
A relação entre os parentes nem sempre é fácil.
The relationship between relatives isn't always easy.
Noun 'relação' as subject.
Descobri que somos parentes de terceiro grau.
I discovered we are third-degree relatives.
Past tense 'Descobri'.
Muitos parentes emigraram para os Estados Unidos.
Many relatives emigrated to the United States.
Verb 'emigraram' in preterite.
É importante manter contato com os parentes.
It's important to keep in touch with relatives.
Impersonal expression 'É importante'.
Ela herdou a casa de uns parentes ricos.
She inherited the house from some rich relatives.
Indefinite article 'uns'.
A festa contou com a presença de vários parentes.
The party featured the presence of several relatives.
Verb phrase 'contou com'.
Eles agem como se fossem parentes, mas são amigos.
They act as if they were relatives, but they are friends.
Subjunctive 'fossem' after 'como se'.
Quero conhecer a história dos meus parentes antigos.
I want to know the history of my ancient relatives.
Adjective 'antigos' for ancestors.
O português e o espanhol são línguas parentes.
Portuguese and Spanish are related languages.
Adjectival use of 'parentes'.
O grau de parentesco deve ser comprovado por documentos.
The degree of kinship must be proven by documents.
Noun 'parentesco'.
A empresa é gerida por parentes do fundador.
The company is managed by relatives of the founder.
Passive voice 'é gerida'.
Não há parentes vivos que possam reclamar a herança.
There are no living relatives who can claim the inheritance.
Relative clause with subjunctive 'possam'.
O DNA confirmou que as duas espécies são parentes.
DNA confirmed that the two species are related.
Scientific context.
Houve uma disputa acirrada entre os parentes pelo controle da firma.
There was a fierce dispute among the relatives for control of the firm.
Noun 'disputa'.
A lei protege os parentes em casos de necessidade extrema.
The law protects relatives in cases of extreme need.
Abstract legal concept.
Apesar de serem parentes, eles nunca se deram bem.
Despite being relatives, they never got along.
Concessive 'Apesar de'.
A solidariedade entre parentes é um pilar da nossa sociedade.
Solidarity among relatives is a pillar of our society.
Sociological term 'solidariedade'.
O conceito de 'parentes' varia significativamente entre culturas.
The concept of 'relatives' varies significantly between cultures.
Academic tone.
A endogamia ocorre quando parentes próximos se casam.
Inbreeding occurs when close relatives marry.
Technical term 'endogamia'.
Suas teorias são parentes, embora partam de premissas distintas.
Their theories are related, though they start from distinct premises.
Metaphorical adjectival use.
A sucessão legítima privilegia os parentes consanguíneos.
Legitimate succession privileges blood relatives.
Legal terminology.
É fascinante observar como termos parentes evoluem de forma diversa.
It's fascinating to observe how related terms evolve differently.
Gerund 'observar'.
A influência dos parentes na formação do indivíduo é inegável.
The influence of relatives on an individual's formation is undeniable.
Psychological context.
Muitas vezes, os parentes por afinidade tornam-se mais próximos que os de sangue.
Often, relatives by marriage become closer than those by blood.
Term 'parentes por afinidade'.
A trama do romance gira em torno de segredos guardados por parentes distantes.
The novel's plot revolves around secrets kept by distant relatives.
Literary analysis.
A obrigatoriedade de prestar alimentos estende-se aos parentes colaterais.
The obligation to provide alimony extends to collateral relatives.
High-level legal jargon.
O autor traça um paralelo entre povos parentes na sua obra magna.
The author draws a parallel between kindred peoples in his magnum opus.
Complex sentence structure.
A desagregação dos laços entre parentes reflete a crise da modernidade.
The breakdown of ties between relatives reflects the crisis of modernity.
Philosophical observation.
O nepotismo, ou favorecimento de parentes, é combatido nas instituições públicas.
Nepotism, or the favoring of relatives, is fought in public institutions.
Political context.
A análise filogenética agrupa organismos parentes em clados específicos.
Phylogenetic analysis groups related organisms into specific clades.
Advanced scientific terminology.
Raramente se vê tamanha devoção entre parentes tão apartados geograficamente.
Rarely does one see such devotion among relatives so geographically separated.
Inverted sentence structure for emphasis.
O léxico lusófono é rico em nuances para descrever os parentes e suas interações.
The Lusophone lexicon is rich in nuances to describe relatives and their interactions.
Meta-linguistic commentary.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Souvent confondu avec
Expressions idiomatiques
Facile à confondre
Structures de phrases
Comment l'utiliser
'Parentes' is warmer than 'familiares'.
Neutral, widely used.
- Using 'parentes' to mean 'mother and father'.
- Confusing 'parentes' with 'parênteses' (brackets).
- Forgetting the nasal sound in 'ren'.
- Using 'pais' when they mean the whole extended family.
- Incorrect gender agreement with 'uma parente'.
Astuces
False Friend
Never translate 'parents' as 'parentes'. This is the #1 mistake.
Plurality
Use 'os parentes' for a group of men and women.
In-laws
In-laws are often called 'parentes por afinidade' in legal contexts.
Synonyms
Use 'familiares' in medical forms.
Nasalization
The 'en' in parentes is nasal, like in 'tempo'.
Introductions
Say 'Ele é meu parente' when introducing a cousin.
Inheritance
'Parentes' is the key word in wills.
Association
Associate 'parentes' with a big family tree.
Precision
Specify 'próximos' or 'distantes' for clarity.
Confidence
Use it confidently to describe your family background.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think: 'Parentes' includes the whole 'PARENThesis' of your family tree, not just the two main points.
Origine du mot
Latin 'parens, parentis'
Contexte culturel
Family gatherings are often loud, frequent, and involve lots of food.
Strong emphasis on lineage and ancestral homes in villages.
The concept of 'parente' can extend to community members with shared heritage.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"Você tem muitos parentes?"
"Onde moram seus parentes?"
"Qual é o seu parente favorito?"
"Você costuma visitar seus parentes?"
"Você descobriu algum parente novo recentemente?"
Sujets d'écriture
Escreva sobre uma reunião com seus parentes.
Descreva um parente que você admira.
Quais são as diferenças entre seus parentes próximos e distantes?
Como sua vida seria diferente sem seus parentes?
Você prefere passar tempo com amigos ou parentes?
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsTechnically yes, they are relatives, but in practice, you use 'pais' for them and 'parentes' for everyone else.
You say 'pais'.
It is common-gender in usage but grammatically masculine (o parente). You can say 'uma parente' for a female relative.
It means 'kinship' or the state of being related.
No, only for people related by blood or marriage. For friends, use 'amigos'.
In-laws or relatives by marriage.
Parentes distantes.
It is neutral. 'Familiares' is more formal.
Yes, in a biological sense to show they are related species.
Parente.
Teste-toi 180 questions
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
The word 'parentes' is a classic false friend. Always remember: Parentes = Relatives; Pais = Parents. Use it to describe your extended family tree and kindred connections.
- Parentes means relatives, not parents.
- Includes cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents.
- Can also be an adjective meaning 'related'.
- Essential for discussing family in Portuguese.
False Friend
Never translate 'parents' as 'parentes'. This is the #1 mistake.
Plurality
Use 'os parentes' for a group of men and women.
In-laws
In-laws are often called 'parentes por afinidade' in legal contexts.
Synonyms
Use 'familiares' in medical forms.
Exemple
In context, `parentes` expresses: relatives.
Contenu associé
Plus de mots sur false_friends
abençoar
A2Le verbe 'abençoar' signifie bénir. Il est utilisé pour demander la protection divine ou exprimer de la gratitude.
aceitar
A2Elle a accepté l'invitation avec plaisir.
acordar
A2Se réveiller le matin.
apelido
A2En France, 'apelido' se traduit par 'surnom' au Brésil et 'nom de famille' au Portugal.
assistir
A2Regarder (un film, la télé) ou assister à (un cours, une réunion). Signifie aussi aider quelqu'un.
atual
A2Le mot 'atual' signifie 'actuel' ou 'présent'.
atualmente
A2Actuellement, je travaille à Paris. (Currently, I work in Paris.)
azeite
A2L'huile d'olive est essentielle dans la cuisine portugaise.
berro
A2Il a poussé un cri (berro) quand il a vu l'araignée.
bicho
A2Un animal, une bestiole ou un insecte. Au Brésil, c'est aussi une argot pour dire 'mec'.
