Portuguese

Verb

vão

1. Third-person plural (eles, elas, also used with vocês^?) present indicative of ir
2. Third-person plural (eles, elas, also used with vocês^?) present subjunctive of ir
3. Third-person plural (vocês) affirmative imperative of ir
4. Third-person plural (vocês) negative imperative of ir
5. (informal) followed by infinitive, forms the third-person plural future indicative

   Eles vão comer carne.‎

   They will eat meat.

Synonyms

• (3rd-person plural future indicative): root + -arão (1st conjugation), root + -erão (2nd conjugation), root + -irão (3rd conjugation)

Etymology 2

From Old Portuguese vão, from Latin vānus ‎(“empty”), from Proto-Indo-European *wān-.

Adjective

vão ‎(feminine singular vã, masculine plural vãos, feminine plural vãs, comparable)

1. empty (containing nothing)
2. vain (overly proud of oneself)
3. vain (effecting no purpose; pointless; futile)
4. useless (unhelpful; not useful)

Synonyms

• (empty): vago, vazio
• (overly proud of oneself): convencido, desvanecido, enfatuado, gabarola, gabola, presunçoso, pretensioso, vaidoso, vanglorioso
• (futile): frívolo, fútil
• (useless): inútil

Antonyms

• (empty): ocupado
• (overly proud of oneself): modesto
• (futile): importante, relevante
• (useless): útil

Noun

vão m (plural vãos)

1. a vacant spot
2. (architecture) a hole in the wall where a window or door is placed
3. (architecture) the empty space below a staircase

Derived terms

• em vão
• vão livre
• vão teórico
• vão total

Related terms