São Paulo

/ˌsaʊ ˈpaʊ.loʊ/

proper noun

A municipality, the state capital of São Paulo State, Brazil.

OriginPortuguese São Paulo ← Old Tupi pirá →
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Sao Paulo

  1. A municipality, the state capital of São Paulo State, Brazil.

    The race around the Interlagos circuit in São Paolo effectively became a 12-lap dash to the flag when Valtteri Bottas triggered the safety car after he pulled his Mercedes over with engine trouble.

    2019 November 17, Sarah Holt, “Verstappen wins Brazilian GP as Ferraris collide AND Gasly and Sainz claim first F1 podiums”, in CNN
  2. A state of the Southeast Region, Brazil. Capital: São Paulo.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
paulistania

Origin

  1. Old Tupitininga“to dry”
  2. Old Tupipirá“fish”
  3. PortugueseSão Paulo
  4. EnglishSão Paulo

Borrowed from Portuguese São Paulo, named after Saint Paul. Doublet of Saint Paul. The city was originally named "São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga" meaning "Saint Paul of the fields of Piratininga". "Piratininga" comes from Old Tupi pirá (“fish”) and Old Tupi tininga (“to dry”) meaning "dried fish", after the fish that would be stranded on the shore of the Tietê River after a flood and left to dry out.

More words from Portuguese, Old Tupi

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سَاو بَاوْلُو
  • سَاو بَاوْلُو (sāw bāwlū)city and state
Bulgarian Са́о Па́уло
  • Са́о Па́уло (Sáo Páulo)city and state
Catalan São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Chinese Mandarin 聖保羅 /圣保罗
  • 聖保羅 /圣保罗 (Shèng Bǎoluó)city and state
Dutch São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Esperanto San-Paŭlo
  • San-Paŭlocity and state
Finnish São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
French São Paulo, Saint-Paul
  • São Paulocity and state
  • Saint-Paulcity and state
German São Paulo, Sankt Paulus
  • São Paulocity and state
  • Sankt Pauluscity and state
Greek Σάο Πάολο, Σάο Πάουλο
  • Σάο Πάολο (Sáo Páolo)city and state
  • Σάο Πάουλο (Sáo Páoulo)city and state
Hawaiian San Paulu
  • San Paulucity and state
Hebrew סָאוּ פָאוּלוּ
  • סָאוּ פָאוּלוּ (sau paulu)city and state
Hindi साओ पाउलो
  • साओ पाउलो (sāo pāulo)city and state
Italian San Paolo
  • San Paolocity and state
Japanese サンパウロ, サン・パウロ
  • サンパウロ (Sanpauro)city and state
  • サン・パウロ (San Pauro)city and state
Korean 상파울루
  • 상파울루 (Sangpaullu)city and state
Latin Sanctus Paulus
  • Sanctus Pauluscity and state
Latvian Sanpaulu
  • Sanpaulucity and state
Lithuanian San Paulas
  • San Paulascity and state
Persian سائو پائولو
  • سائو پائولو (sâu pâulu)city and state
Polish São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Portuguese São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Romanian São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Russian Сан-Па́улу
  • Сан-Па́улу (San-Páulu)city and state
Spanish São Paulo, Sao Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
  • Sao Paulocity and state
  • San Pablocity and state
Thai เซาเปาลู
  • เซาเปาลู (sao bpao loo)city and state
Turkish São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Ukrainian Сан-Пау́лу
  • Сан-Пау́лу (San-Paúlu)city and state
Urdu ساؤں پاؤلو
  • ساؤں پاؤلو (sāõ pāolo)city and state
Vietnamese São Paulo
  • São Paulocity and state
Cite this entry
APA

São Paulo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/S%C3%A3o%20Paulo

MLA

“São Paulo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/S%C3%A3o%20Paulo. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “São Paulo,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/S%C3%A3o%20Paulo.

Source: São Paulo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.