Buzz
Portuguese (Português, Língua Portuguesa) is a Romance language closely related to Spanish, spoken by over 250 million people in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and several other countries. As Brazil's economy grows rapidly and becomes a vital part of the world, learning Portuguese is a wise investment, especially if you plan to travel or do business in South America or Africa. To speak common words or phrases in Portuguese, start by learning greetings and basic conversational phrases, then continue to expand your vocabulary. Simple words and phrases in Portuguese are easy for beginners, so why wait? Vamos! (Let’s get started!)
Steps
Learn Basic Greetings
Learn how to say "Hello!" The best way to get familiar with Portuguese is by learning how to greet people. With these phrases, you can greet and say goodbye to Portuguese speakers you meet. Here are some common greetings used in Portuguese:
- Hello: Olá (oh-la)
- Hey or Hi: Oi (oy) - informal
- Goodbye: Adeus (ah-deuzh)
- Goodbye: Tchau (cha-oh) - informal
- Note that some words are labeled as "informal". In Portuguese, it’s considered rude to use informal words with people you don’t know well, older individuals, or those in positions of authority. These words are not considered vulgar; they simply lack a sense of respect. The important rule is: do not use informal words with people who are not close friends.
Israel Vieira Pereira, PhD
Portuguese Translator
Portuguese Translator
The best way to learn common words is by immersing yourself in the language. Sign up for online chats with native Portuguese speakers. There are several services that connect you with people from different countries to help each other learn. You can also place yourself in situations where speaking Portuguese is necessary.
Learn greetings based on different times of the day. Just like in English, Portuguese has several ways to greet someone depending on the time of day. These greetings allow you to refer to the specific time of day when you greet someone:
- Good morning: Bom dia (Boh-n dih-ah or Boh-n djih-ah in Brazil) - this phrase literally means "a good day" but is typically used before noon or before lunchtime.
- Good afternoon: Boa tarde (Boh-ah tahr-jia) - used from noon until dusk.
- Good evening or good night: Boa noite (Boh-ah no-ee-tay) - used from dusk until dawn.
Learn how to ask about others. Portuguese is similar to other languages in this respect - after greeting someone, you usually ask about them. Use the following simple phrases to inquire about someone you meet:
- How are you?: Como está? (Coh-moh esh-tah? or Coh-moh es-tah? - used in Brazil)
- How’s everything?: Como vai? ("Coh-moh vye?" - rhymes with "eye" in English) - informal
- What’s new? (Used only in Brazil): E aí? (E-aye - pronounced as a single syllable) - informal
- Is everything okay?: Tudo bem? ("Too-doo beng?") - informal
Learn how to talk about yourself. When you ask about someone, they will often ask the same about you. Use the following responses to introduce yourself and share how you’re doing:
- Good / very good: Bem / muito bem (Baing / moo-ee-toh baing)
- Bad / very bad: Mal / muito mal (Mao / moo-ee-toh mao)
- So-so / average: Mais ou menos (Ma-eece oh meh-nos)
- My name is...: Me chamo [your name] (Mee sham-oh)
- Nice to meet you: Prazer em conhecê-lo/a (Prazh-air eh con-yo-see-lo/la)
- Note that conhecê-lo/a ends in o or a. When speaking to a male, use o, and when speaking to a female, use a. This distinction will be mentioned several times throughout the article.
Learn Basic Communication Skills
Learn how to talk about the language. As a beginner in Portuguese, you might struggle with communication at first. Don’t worry – mastering a new language takes time. Use the following phrases to explain your situation:
- I don't speak Portuguese: Não falo Português - (Nah-oom fah-looh poor-too-gess)
- I speak English: Falo Inglês (Fah-looh inn-glesh)
- Do you speak English?: Fala inglês? (Fah-lah inn-gless) - formal
- Do you speak English?: Você fala inglês? (Voh-say fah-lah inn-gless) - informal
- I don’t understand: Não percebo (Nah-oo pehr-say-boo)
- Can you repeat?: Pode repetir? (Poh-day reh-peh-teer)
Learn how to use polite expressions. It’s crucial to speak politely in Portuguese, as you wouldn’t want to lose your reputation for being rude, even unintentionally. Use the following words and expressions to ensure you’re always polite when interacting with others:
- Please: Por favor (Pooh-r fah-voh-r)
- Thank you: Obrigado/a (Oh-bree-gah-dooh/dah) – use the masculine form if you’re male, and the feminine form if you’re female.
- You’re welcome: De nada (Dee nah-dah) – informal
- You’re welcome: Não tem de quê (Nah-oomm tah-eehm the queh) – formal
- I’m sorry: Desculpe (Desh-cool-pah)
Learn how to ask about others (and how to answer). Knowing how to ask a few basic questions to Portuguese speakers you meet will help you make new friends. Use the following questions and answers for basic communication:
- What’s your name?: Como o/a senhor/a se chama? (coh-moh sen-your/-ah se shahm-ah) – formal. Note that in this case, the word senhor is used for men and does not end in "o".
- What’s your name?: Qual é o seu nome? (Coh eh-oh seh-oh no-mee) – informal
- My name is...: Me chamo [your name] (Mee sham-oh)
- Where are you from?: De onde o/a senhor/a é? (Djee own-djah oh/ah sen-your/ah eh)
- Where are you from?: De onde você é? (Djee own-djah voh-say eh) – informal
- I’m from...: Eu sou de [your hometown] (Ee-oh so-oo djee)
- What’s going on / What’s happening?: O que aconteceu? (Oo key ah-cone-teh-see-oo)
Learn how to ask for help. Not every adventure goes as planned. If you find yourself in a situation where you need help from a Portuguese speaker, you’ll be glad to know these “lifesaver” phrases:
- What time is it?: Que horas são? (Queh o-rah-sh sah-oomm)
- I’m lost: Estou perdido (Esh-toe per-dee-doo / Es-toe per-djee-doo (used in Brazil))
- Can you please help me?: Pode ajudar-me, por favor? (Po-deh azhu-dar-meh, por-fah-vor?)
- Help me!: Socorro! (Soh-coh-hoh!) – used in emergencies
Expand Your Vocabulary
Learn how to ask general questions. Asking questions is a key part of daily communication - it helps you gather more information about the world around you. Mastering these question words will prepare you to respond appropriately in different situations:
- Who?: Quem? (Cang?)
- What?: O que? (Ooh kee?)
- When?: Quando? (Quan-doo?)
- Where?: Onde? (Own-djee?)
- Which?: Qual? (Quah-ooh?)
- Why?: Porquê? (Poohr-queh)
- Because: Porque (Poohr-queh)
- How many?: Quanto? (Kwan-toh)
- How much is this?: Quanto custa? (Kwan-toh coos-tah?)
Learn how to refer to people. Use these terms to refer to people in your life and others’:
- Father: Pai (pa-ee)
- Mother: Mãe (ma-ee) – formal
- Mother: Mamãe (muh-ma-ee) – informal
- Man: Homem (O-men)
- Woman: Mulher (Mooh-lyehr)
- Friend: Amigo/a (Ah-mee-goh/gah)
- Girlfriend: Namorada (Nah-mooh-rah-dah)
- Boyfriend: Namorado (Nah-mooh-rah-dooh)
Learn formal titles. In Portuguese, it's common to address older people or those in positions of authority by their formal titles as a sign of respect. Although this formality may fade once a relationship becomes more familiar, it takes time, and the general rule is don’t use someone’s first name until they give you permission.
- Mr.: Senhor (Sen-your) – also used to refer to “you” in formal contexts
- Mrs.: Senhora (Sen-your-ah) – also used to refer to “you” in formal contexts for women
- Miss: Senhorita (Sen-your-ee-tah) – used for young women (usually unmarried)
- Madam/Miss: Dona (Do-nah) – a respectful title for women
- Doctor: Doutor/a (Doo-tohr/-ah) – used for individuals with higher academic degrees, not exclusively doctors
- Professor: Professor/a (pro-fess-or/-ah) – used for individuals with a PhD, not necessarily university lecturers
Learn the names of common animals. Knowing the names of animals in Portuguese will be extremely helpful, especially if you’re traveling to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil or Angola. Here are some common animal names you may encounter:
- Dog: Cão (Cah-oohm)
- Dog (used in Brazil): Cachorro (Cah-sho-hoo)
- Cat: Gato (Gah-tooh)
- Bird: Pássaro (Pah-sah-row)
- Fish: Peixe (Pay-shay)
- Monkey: Macaco (Mah-cah-coh)
- Lizard: Lagarto (Lah-gar-toh)
- Bug: Percevejo (Pair-sair-ve-zhoh)
- Spider: Aranha (Ah-rah-nyah)
Learn the Parts of the Body. Knowing how to describe different body parts is essential, especially if you ever find yourself in an unfortunate situation abroad with an injury or illness. Use these words to talk about the body:
- Head: Cabeça (Cah-beh-sah)
- Arm: Braço (Brah-so)
- Leg: Perna (Pair-nah)
- Hand: Mão (Mah-oohm)
- Foot: Pé (Peh)
- Finger: Dedo (Deh-dooh)
- Toe: Dedo (just like finger) – you can say "Dedo do pé" (Deh-dooh dooh peh), literally "finger of the foot"
- Eye: Olhos (Ole-yus)
- Mouth: Boca (Boh-cah)
- Nose: Nariz (Nah-reese)
- Ear: Orelhas (Oh-rel-yase)
Learn How to Describe Body Issues. As mentioned before, being sick or injured abroad is never fun. Make it easier to get help by learning these phrases to describe your condition:
- I'm in pain: Estou magoado (Ees-toh mah-goo-ah-doo)
- My [body part] is broken: Meu [body part, like arm] está quebrado (May-oh brah-so es-tah kay-brah-doh)
- I'm bleeding: Eu estou sangrando (Eh-oh ees-toh san-grand-oh)
- I feel unwell: Me sinto mal (Mee seen-toh ma-oo)
- I feel sick: Sinto-me doente (Seen-toh-may doo-en-tee)
- I have a fever: Estou com febre (Ees-toh cohn feb-ray)
- I have a cough: Estou com tosse (Ees-toh cohn tohs-ay)
- I can't breathe: Eu não posso respirar (Eh-oh nah-oo po-so ray-spee-rar)
- Doctor!: Médico! (Meh-jee-coh)
Learn Slang! Now that you have a solid collection of Portuguese words and phrases, expand your vocabulary by learning some useful slang. In practice, Portuguese speakers don't always use the dry, straightforward language you see in textbooks. Every country and region that speaks Portuguese has its own slang, idioms, and expressions that make the language even more colorful. Here are some popular slang words (all of these are considered informal):
- Awesome! (Used in Europe and Africa): Fixe (Feesh)
- Awesome! (Used in Brazil): Legal (Lay-gah-oo)
- Wow!: Nossa (Nos-ah)
- Oh my god!: Puxa / Puxa vida (Poo-sha / Poo-sha vee-dah)
- Shut up!: Cale-se! / Cala a boca! (Cah-lee say / cah la boh-ca)
- What's up?: Beleza? (Beh-leh-zah)
- Best friend (for both male and female): Parceira/o (Par-say-rah)
- Attractive guy/girl: Gatinha/o (Gah-cheen-yah/yoh)
- Money: Grana (Gran-ah)
- Foreigner: Gringo (Green-go)
Advice
- Don’t give up if you struggle; learning basic words in a new language takes time. If you don’t master the language right away, just keep practicing and practicing!
- The letter "m" in Portuguese often sounds similar to the "n" sound in English.
- Similarly, the "nh" in Portuguese often sounds like the "ny" sound in English (as in "Inuit")
- Try listening to Portuguese music to immerse yourself in the language. If you want to speak like a Brazilian, check out music from São Paulo and Brasília, as they tend to have the most neutral Brazilian accents.
- The letter "l" at the end of a word is often pronounced like the "u" or a long "oo" sound.
