bemvinda

Bemvinda is the feminine form of the Portuguese adjective bem-vindo, generally used to mean “welcome” or “well received.” It functions as a greeting or as a descriptor, indicating that a person is welcome in a given space or situation. The masculine form bem-vindo corresponds to men or mixed groups, while plural forms are bem-vindos (masc) and bem-vindas (fem). The phrase is commonly encountered in hospitality, hosting, and event contexts, in signage, invitations, and everyday speech.

Etymology and usage: The term comes from bem, meaning “well,” and vindo, the past participle of vir, meaning “coming.” Literally, bem-vindo conveys the sense of someone who has come well or is well received. In practice, speakers use bem-vinda to greet a female guest, as in Seja bem-vinda, Maria (Welcome, Maria). It can also appear in non-addressed form as a predicate or part of a fixed expression, such as a host describing a guest as bem-vinda.

Orthography and variants: Bem-vindo and bem-vinda are usually written with a hyphen in standard Portuguese as a compound adjective, though orthographic practices may vary by region. Agreement rules apply with gender and number: bem-vindos, bem-vindas. The term is not typically a proper noun, though it can appear in branding or literary titles as a stylized form.

See also: bem-vindo, welcome (in English-language usage), Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese usage.