Portuguese Word Endings Part 2: -inho and -ão

This post continues our mini-series on Portuguese word endings, and we’re starting with two of the most expressive: -inho and -ão.

Both endings change the feeling of a word: one makes it smaller or more affectionate, the other often makes it bigger, stronger, or more impactful.

They’re everywhere in everyday Portuguese, and once you notice them, you’ll hear them constantly.

🌼 The Ending -inho / -inha (Diminutive)

This is one of the most beloved endings in Portuguese. You’ll hear it used to make objects sound smaller, cuter, gentler, or simply more familiar.

What it expresses:

• Something small
• Something cute or affectionate
• A friendly or softer tone

Examples:

• casa → casinha (little house / cosy house)
• gato → gatinho (kitten or affectionate “little cat”)
• café → cafezinho (small coffee or friendly “little coffee”)
• pão → pãozinho (bread roll)

You’ll also hear it in friendly speech:

• Só um bocadinho. → “Just a little bit.”
• Até já, queridinha. → “See you soon, darling.”

💥 The Ending -ão (Often Augmentative)

The ending -ão is powerful, round, and bold.
It often expresses something large, intense, or impactful, although not always literally “big”.

What it expresses:

• Something large
• Something strong or intense
• Emphasis
• Sometimes a sense of importance

Examples:

• caixa → caixão (big box / coffin depending on context!)
• grito → gritão (loud cry / someone who shouts)
• copo → copão (big drink)

You’ll also hear it in names for big events:

• Arrastão — a big procession or sweep
• São João — festival name using the ão sound

🗣️ Pronunciation Notes

• -inho/inha has a soft “nyuh” sound:
  een-yo / een-ya
• -ão has the famous nasal ending:
  own (nasal, not like English “own”)

Both endings are extremely characteristic of European Portuguese.

💬 Quick Practice

Try pairing endings with familiar words:

• livro → livrinho (a little book)
• janela → janelão (a big window)
• amigo → amiguinho (dear little friend / affectionate)
• bolo → bolão (a big cake!)

🧭 Final Thought

Learning endings like -inho and -ão helps you:

• understand tone
• guess meaning
• sound more natural
• enjoy the “music” of Portuguese

In the next post in this series, we’ll explore -dade and -ção, endings that help you decode abstract nouns like realidade and emoção.