pessoa

Alternative forms

• pessôa, persoa (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese pessõa, from Vulgar Latin *pessona, from Latin persōna (“mask used by actor; role, part, character”), perhaps a loanword from Etruscan *𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (*φersu, “mask”), from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον (prósōpon).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /pɨ.ˈso.ɐ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /pe.ˈso.ɐ/
  • (some dialects) IPA^(key): /pe.ˈso.wɐ/

Noun

pessoa f (plural pessoas)

1. person (an individual being, especially a human)

   Estava vendo umas pessoas caminhar. ― I was watching some people walk.

   Synonyms: indivíduo, sujeito

2. (formal) person (someone’s physical body)

   O sujeito portava uma arma em sua pessoa. ― The person was carrying a weapon in his person.

   Synonym: corpo

3. (grammar) person (either the speaker, those spoken to or the subject of the discussion)

   Ele é um pronome da terceira pessoa. ― He is a third-person pronoun.

4. (Christian theology) person (any of the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity)

   Synonyms: pessoa divina, hipóstase

5. (law) person (person or organisation with standing before the courts)