How Do You Say “House Husband” in Portuguese?

Common ways to say “house husband” in European Portuguese

Unlike in English, where terms like housewife, stay-at-home mom, or stay-at-home dad are widely accepted and used, in Portuguese, there’s no clear masculine equivalent to dona de casa. Still, here are the closest expressions you might hear:

Dono de casa

This is the grammatically correct masculine version of dona de casa.

But there’s a problem: “dono” means “owner.”

It’s more commonly used in contexts like dono do carro (car owner) or dono da empresa (business owner).

So, saying sou dono de casa often sounds more like “I own the house” than “I take care of it.”

It doesn’t capture the caregiving, domestic aspect the way dona de casa does.

Homem que cuida da casa

This means “man who takes care of the house.”

It’s descriptive and clear, though not a fixed expression.

It works well to describe someone’s role, but it’s a bit long and not commonly used as a label.

Marido que fica em casa

This translates to “husband who stays at home”, and aligns more closely with the idea of a stay-at-home dad.

It emphasizes the family context and makes it clear that the man is not working outside the home, but taking care of domestic life instead.

Still, it’s a description, not a title.

So why isn’t there a simple word like “housewife”?

The short answer: culture.

In this excellent opinion piece from Expresso, the author argues that the absence of a masculine version of dona de casa is not just about grammar, it’s about privilege:

“The masculine version of dona de casa isn’t a grammatical question. It’s a question of privilege.”

👉 Read the full article here

Historically, women were expected to stay home and care for the household, which is why dona de casa is a widely accepted and normalised phrase.

Men, on the other hand, have traditionally been seen as providers, working outside the home. Therefore, the man who stays home is still viewed as an exception, and language has not yet caught up.

🧠 Language reflects culture

The fact that we don’t have a tidy, one-word equivalent for dona de casa in the masculine isn’t a coincidence.

Increasingly, more men are opting to stay home, raise children, and share domestic responsibilities.

And slowly, the language will evolve too.

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📣 What do you think?

• Have you ever heard a man call himself dono de casa?
• Do you think we need a new term in Portuguese to reflect this role?

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