priest
1. A Catholic or Christian clergyman; a man ordained to perform religious services
The padre blessed the congregation at Sunday mass.
O padre abençoou a congregação na missa de domingo.
2. A military chaplain or religious official serving in armed forces
The army padre provided spiritual guidance to the soldiers.
O padre do exército oferecia orientação espiritual aos soldados.
3. A form of respectful address for a priest or father figure
Padre, I need to confess my sins.
Padre, preciso fazer confissão.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'padre' exclusively refers to a Catholic priest and is never used as a general term for 'father' (which is 'pai'). The word carries strong religious significance and is often used respectfully as a form of address. In colonial Brazil, padres played crucial roles in converting indigenous populations and education. The term is deeply embedded in Catholic cultural tradition throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →