The Portuguese word espinha is a versatile feminine noun that primarily translates to 'pimple' or 'spot' in English, but it also carries two other highly common meanings: 'fishbone' and 'spine' or 'backbone'. Understanding context is essential when encountering this word. When discussing skincare, teenagers, or dermatology, it almost exclusively refers to a small, inflamed spot on the skin. In culinary contexts, particularly when eating seafood, it refers to the sharp bones found inside fish. In anatomical or metaphorical contexts, it refers to the spinal column.
- Dermatological Context
- Used to describe acne, blemishes, or single pimples on the face or body. This is the most frequent daily usage among young adults and teenagers.
Acordei com uma enorme espinha no nariz bem no dia da festa.
- Culinary Context
- Refers to the thin, sharp bones found in fish. It is a vital word for safety when dining in Portuguese-speaking countries known for their seafood.
Cuidado ao comer o salmão para não engolir uma espinha.
- Anatomical Context
- Often used with the adjective 'dorsal' (espinha dorsal) to mean the spine or backbone, both literally in biology and metaphorically to mean the core support of something.
A educação é a espinha dorsal de uma sociedade próspera.
O adolescente estava com vergonha da sua espinha.
Ele sentiu uma dor aguda na espinha após levantar a caixa.
Understanding these three distinct pillars of meaning will drastically improve your comprehension. When you hear a teenager complaining in front of a mirror, it is a pimple. When you hear a diner coughing at a seafood restaurant, it is a fishbone. When you read a political essay about the foundation of a new policy, it is the metaphorical spine. This polysemy makes the word incredibly rich and essential for learners to master early on.
Using 'espinha' correctly requires knowing the right verbs that collocate with each of its meanings. For pimples, the most common verbs are 'ter' (to have), 'aparecer' (to appear), and 'espremer' (to pop/squeeze). For fishbones, the crucial verbs are 'engasgar-se' (to choke) and 'tirar' (to remove). For the spine, verbs like 'lesionar' (to injure) or 'apoiar' (to support) are standard. Let us examine these structures in detail.
- Using with 'Espremer'
- Dermatologists always advise against this, but 'espremer uma espinha' is the exact translation for 'popping a pimple'. It is a highly common phrase in informal Portuguese.
O médico disse que você nunca deve espremer uma espinha inflamada.
- Using with 'Engasgar'
- When eating fish, 'engasgar com uma espinha' means to choke on a fishbone. This is a common warning given to children.
Meu avô quase foi ao hospital porque engasgou com uma espinha de bacalhau.
- Using 'Espinha Dorsal'
- This compound noun is used both literally for anatomy and figuratively for structural support.
A agricultura familiar é a espinha dorsal da economia local.
Ela passou um creme secativo na espinha antes de dormir.
O peixe estava delicioso, mas tinha muita espinha.
Mastering these collocations is key to sounding natural. Native speakers do not translate word-for-word; they use these specific verb-noun pairings. Practice writing sentences where you intentionally switch the context from a skincare routine to a dinner setting to test your grasp of the vocabulary.
Because of its multiple meanings, 'espinha' is heard in vastly different environments. You will encounter it in pharmacies, at family dinner tables, in doctor offices, and even in corporate meetings. It is a word that bridges casual everyday complaints with technical anatomical terms and idiomatic expressions.
- At the Pharmacy or Dermatologist
- This is where you hear it most often as a learner. People ask for creams, soaps, or treatments for pimples.
Você tem algum produto bom para secar espinha rápido?
- At a Seafood Restaurant
- When eating dishes like grilled sardines or cod, the word becomes a matter of safety and comfort.
Garçom, este filé de peixe não deveria vir sem espinha?
- In Metaphorical Conversations
- You will hear idioms like 'atravessado na espinha' when someone is holding a grudge or cannot accept a situation.
Aquela ofensa ainda está atravessada na minha espinha.
A professora de biologia explicou a função da espinha nos vertebrados.
Meu filho adolescente odeia quando aparece uma espinha nova.
Pay attention to Brazilian soap operas (novelas) or Portuguese television series; you will frequently hear teenagers agonizing over an 'espinha'. Conversely, cooking shows will constantly remind viewers to remove the 'espinhas' before serving. This dual nature makes it a fantastic vocabulary building block.
English speakers often make predictable errors when using 'espinha' because they try to map English vocabulary directly onto Portuguese. The most frequent mistakes involve confusing 'espinha' with 'osso' (bone), 'mancha' (spot), or 'cravo' (blackhead). Let us clarify these distinctions to prevent embarrassing or confusing errors.
- Fishbone vs. Bone
- Never say 'osso de peixe'. Fish have 'espinhas', not 'ossos'. Mammals and birds have 'ossos'. This is a very common beginner mistake.
Incorreto: Cuidado com o osso do peixe. Correto: Cuidado com a espinha do peixe.
- Pimple vs. Spot
- In British English, a pimple is often called a 'spot'. In Portuguese, a 'mancha' is a flat discoloration (like a sun spot), while an 'espinha' is a raised, inflamed pimple.
Ele tem uma espinha enorme, não uma mancha.
- Spine vs. Back
- If your back hurts, you usually say 'dor nas costas', not 'dor na espinha', unless you are specifically referring to the spinal column itself.
O quiroprático ajustou a minha espinha dorsal.
Usei um adesivo para curar a espinha inflamada.
Tirar a espinha do salmão exige uma pinça especial.
By avoiding these common pitfalls, your Portuguese will sound much more natural. Always remember that fish do not have 'ossos' and blackheads are 'cravos'. Keep these distinctions in mind, and you will navigate conversations about food, health, and anatomy with confidence and precision.
Depending on the dialect of Portuguese and the exact meaning you are trying to convey, there are several alternatives and related words to 'espinha'. Expanding your vocabulary to include these synonyms will help you understand native speakers from different regions and in different contexts, from casual chats to medical diagnoses.
- Borbulha (Portugal)
- In European Portuguese, 'borbulha' is the preferred term for a pimple. While they understand 'espinha', 'borbulha' sounds much more natural in Lisbon or Porto.
Em Portugal, dizemos que o adolescente tem muitas borbulhas, não espinhas.
- Acne (Medical)
- Acne is the medical condition. You can say someone suffers from acne, but you wouldn't point to a single spot and call it an acne.
O tratamento para acne reduziu drasticamente cada espinha no rosto dela.
- Coluna Vertebral (Anatomy)
- When talking about the spine, 'coluna vertebral' or simply 'coluna' is much more common in medical contexts than 'espinha dorsal'.
O médico examinou a coluna dele, focando na espinha dorsal.
Não confunda uma pinta ou mancha com uma espinha.
Para o peixe, não há alternativa: a palavra correta é sempre espinha.
By integrating these synonyms into your vocabulary, you demonstrate a higher level of fluency. You show that you understand the nuances between European and Brazilian Portuguese, as well as the difference between medical terminology and everyday colloquial speech.
Examples by Level
Eu tenho uma espinha no nariz.
I have a pimple on my nose.
'Uma' is the feminine singular indefinite article matching 'espinha'.
A espinha é vermelha.
The pimple is red.
Adjectives must agree in gender; hence 'vermelha'.
Ela tem muitas espinhas.
She has many pimples.
Plural form takes an 's': espinhas.
O que é essa espinha?
What is this pimple?
Demonstrative pronoun 'essa' agrees with the feminine noun.
Minha espinha dói.
My pimple hurts.
Simple subject-verb agreement with 'doer'.
Eu vi uma espinha grande.
I saw a big pimple.
'Grande' is an adjective that doesn't change for gender.
Não toque na espinha.
Don't touch the pimple.
'Na' is the contraction of 'em' + 'a'.
A espinha sumiu hoje.
The pimple disappeared today.
Past tense of 'sumir' (to disappear).
Cuidado com a espinha do peixe.
Careful with the fishbone.
Context shift to fishbone; 'do' is 'de' + 'o'.
Ele engasgou com uma espinha.
He choked on a fishbone.
Verb 'engasgar' uses the preposition 'com'.
Preciso comprar sabonete para espinhas.
I need to buy soap for pimples.
Preposition 'para' indicates purpose.
O garçom tirou a espinha.
The waiter removed the fishbone.
Verb 'tirar' means to take out or remove.
Você espremeu a espinha?
Did you pop the pimple?
'Espremer' is the specific verb for popping pimples.
O peixe tem muita espinha.
The fish has a lot of bones.
'Muita' agrees with the feminine singular collective sense.
Lave o rosto para evitar espinhas.
Wash your face to avoid pimples.
Infinitive phrase indicating purpose.
Eu odeio quando aparece uma espinha.
I hate when a pimple appears.
Verb 'aparecer' often comes before the subject in this structure.
O dermatologista receitou um creme para essa espinha interna.
The dermatologist prescribed a cream for this blind pimple.
'Espinha interna' refers to a pimple under the skin.
Tirar as espinhas do bacalhau dá muito trabalho.
Removing the bones from the cod takes a lot of work.
Infinitive as the subject of the sentence.
A espinha dorsal é fundamental para a nossa postura.
The backbone is fundamental for our posture.
Introduction of 'espinha dorsal'.
Adolescentes costumam sofrer muito com cravos e espinhas.
Teenagers usually suffer a lot from blackheads and pimples.
Common collocation: 'cravos e espinhas'.
Senti um arrepio na espinha quando ouvi aquele barulho.
I felt a shiver down my spine when I heard that noise.
Idiomatic expression for fear/suspense.
Nunca se deve espremer uma espinha porque pode deixar cicatriz.
One should never pop a pimple because it can leave a scar.
Impersonal 'se' construction for general advice.
Quase fui ao hospital por causa de uma espinha de salmão.
I almost went to the hospital because of a salmon bone.
'Por causa de' means 'because of'.
Minha pele melhorou e as espinhas desapareceram.
My skin improved and the pimples disappeared.
Compound sentence with past tense verbs.
A agricultura é a espinha dorsal da economia deste estado.
Agriculture is the backbone of this state's economy.
Metaphorical use of 'espinha dorsal'.
Aquela atitude arrogante dele ainda está atravessada na minha espinha.
That arrogant attitude of his is still stuck in my throat (grudge).
Idiom 'atravessado na espinha'.
O tratamento com ácido salicílico secou a espinha da noite para o dia.
The salicylic acid treatment dried the pimple overnight.
Advanced vocabulary related to skincare.
Animais vertebrados possuem uma espinha dorsal bem desenvolvida.
Vertebrate animals possess a well-developed backbone.
Scientific and biological context.
Engasgar-se com uma espinha pode ser uma emergência médica grave.
Choking on a fishbone can be a serious medical emergency.
Reflexive verb 'engasgar-se' used as a noun phrase.
Ela tem uma propensão genética a desenvolver espinhas císticas.
She has a genetic propensity to develop cystic pimples.
Medical terminology 'espinhas císticas'.
O chef usou uma pinça cirúrgica para extrair cada espinha do filé.
The chef used surgical tweezers to extract every bone from the fillet.
Precise verbs like 'extrair' instead of 'tirar'.
A notícia trágica causou um frio na espinha de todos os presentes.
The tragic news caused a chill down the spine of everyone present.
Variant of the shiver idiom: 'frio na espinha'.
A espinha dorsal do argumento reside na premissa da igualdade social.
The backbone of the argument lies in the premise of social equality.
Abstract, academic use of the metaphor.
Aquele comentário sarcástico desceu-lhe como uma espinha na garganta.
That sarcastic comment went down like a fishbone in the throat.
Creative literary use of the fishbone imagery.
A prevalência de espinhas na idade adulta pode indicar desequilíbrios hormonais severos.
The prevalence of pimples in adulthood can indicate severe hormonal imbalances.
Formal medical register.
A espinha bífida é uma malformação congênita que requer atenção imediata.
Spina bifida is a congenital malformation that requires immediate attention.
Specific medical condition using the word 'espinha'.
O autor construiu a narrativa tendo o conflito central como espinha dorsal.
The author built the narrative having the central conflict as the backbone.
Literary analysis terminology.
A meticulosidade de retirar as espinhas do sável é uma arte culinária antiga.
The meticulousness of removing the bones from the shad is an ancient culinary art.
Advanced vocabulary like 'meticulosidade' and 'sável'.
A visão daquela criatura abissal provocou-lhe um calafrio na espinha.
The sight of that abyssal creature provoked a chill down his spine.
Use of 'calafrio' as a synonym for 'arrepio'.
Trata-se de um problema estrutural crônico; a própria espinha do sistema está corrompida.
It is a chronic structural problem; the very spine of the system is corrupted.
Strong political/structural metaphor.
A etimologia latina 'spina' encapsula perfeitamente a agudeza tanto da afecção cutânea quanto da estrutura óssea.
The Latin etymology 'spina' perfectly encapsulates the sharpness of both the cutaneous affection and the bone structure.
Highly academic, etymological discussion.
O escândalo financeiro fraturou a espinha dorsal do partido governista de forma irrecuperável.
The financial scandal fractured the backbone of the ruling party irretrievably.
Complex political metaphor with advanced adverbs.
Aquele ressentimento ancestral permaneceu atravessado na espinha da família por gerações.
That ancestral resentment remained stuck in the family's throat for generations.
Literary expansion of the common idiom.
A extirpação das espinhas do linguado exige uma destreza que beira a virtuosidade.
The extirpation of the flounder's bones demands a dexterity that borders on virtuosity.
Extremely formal vocabulary (extirpação, destreza, virtuosidade).
A acne vulgar, comumente referida como espinha, é uma dermatose de patogenia multifatorial.
Acne vulgaris, commonly referred to as a pimple, is a dermatosis of multifactorial pathogenesis.
Strictly scientific and dermatological register.
Sentiu o pavo
Example
Ela ficou com uma espinha no nariz antes da festa.
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abaixar
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abdómen
B1The part of the body between the chest and the pelvis; belly.
abdômen
A2The part of the body containing the digestive organs; the belly.
abortar
A2To terminate a pregnancy.
abstinência
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abstinente
A2Refraining from an indulgence or pleasure.
acalmar-se
A2To become quiet and less agitated.
acamado
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acaso
A2By chance; perhaps.
acidentar
A2To have an accident; to experience an unfortunate incident.
