The most useful everyday phrases, all in one place. Tap 🔊 to hear any phrase, and bookmark this page for your trip to Brazil.
The basics
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Sim. | seeng | Yes. |
| Não. | nowng | No. |
| Talvez. | tow-VAYS | Maybe. |
| Por favor. | poor fah-VOHR | Please. |
| Obrigado. / Obrigada. | oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah | Thank you. (said by a man / a woman) |
| De nada. | djee NAH-dah | You're welcome. |
| Com licença. | kohng lee-SEN-sah | Excuse me. |
| Desculpa. | djees-KOOW-pah | Sorry. |
| Tudo bem. | TOO-doo bayng | It's OK. / All good. |
| Tá bom. | tah bohng | OK. |
| Claro! | KLAH-roo | Of course! |
Understanding each other
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Eu não entendo. | EH-oo nowng en-TEN-doo | I don't understand. |
| Você fala inglês? | voh-SAY FAH-lah een-GLAYS | Do you speak English? |
| Eu falo um pouco de português. | EH-oo FAH-loo oong POH-koo djee por-too-GAYS | I speak a little Portuguese. |
| Pode repetir, por favor? | PAW-djee heh-peh-TCHEER, poor fah-VOHR | Can you repeat that, please? |
| Mais devagar, por favor. | mice djee-vah-GAR, poor fah-VOHR | Slower, please. |
| Como se diz … em português? | KOH-moo see djees … ayng por-too-GAYS | How do you say … in Portuguese? |
| O que significa …? | oo kee seeg-nee-FEE-kah | What does … mean? |
Questions
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Quem? | kayng | Who? |
| O quê? | oo KAY | What? |
| Onde? | OHN-djee | Where? |
| Quando? | KWAN-doo | When? |
| Por quê? | poor KAY | Why? |
| Como? | KOH-moo | How? |
| Quanto custa? | KWAN-too KOOS-tah | How much is it? |
| Que horas são? | kee AW-rahs sowng | What time is it? |
| Onde fica o banheiro? | OHN-djee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo | Where's the bathroom? |
Feelings and reactions
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Estou com fome. | ees-TOH kohng FAW-mee | I'm hungry. |
| Estou com sede. | ees-TOH kohng SAY-djee | I'm thirsty. |
| Estou cansado. / Estou cansada. | ees-TOH kahn-SAH-doo / ees-TOH kahn-SAH-dah | I'm tired. (said by a man / a woman) |
| Que legal! | kee leh-GOW | How cool! |
| Nossa! | NAW-sah | Wow! / Oh my! |
| Que pena! | kee PAY-nah | What a shame! |
| Parabéns! | pah-rah-BAYNS | Congratulations! / Happy birthday! |
| Saúde! | sah-OO-djee | Cheers! / Bless you! |
| Boa sorte! | BOH-ah SOR-tchee | Good luck! |
| Que saudade! | kee sow-DAH-djee | I miss it so much! |
Saudade is a famous Portuguese word with no exact English translation: a warm, bittersweet longing for someone or something you love.
Emergencies
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Socorro! | soh-KOH-hoo | Help! |
| Chame a polÃcia! | SHAH-mee ah poh-LEE-see-ah | Call the police! |
| Chame uma ambulância! | SHAH-mee OO-mah ahm-boo-LAHN-see-ah | Call an ambulance! |
| Eu preciso de um médico. | EH-oo preh-SEE-zoo djee oong MEH-djee-koo | I need a doctor. |
| Onde fica o hospital? | OHN-djee FEE-kah oo ohs-pee-TOW | Where's the hospital? |
In Brazil, dial 190 for the police, 192 for an ambulance and 193 for the fire department.
Everyday slang
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| E aÃ? | ee ah-EE | What's up? |
| Beleza? | beh-LAY-zah | All good? (reply: Beleza!) |
| Valeu! | vah-LEH-oo | Thanks! / Cheers! |
| Cara | KAH-rah | Dude, man |
| Tipo… | TCHEE-poo | Like… |
| Show de bola! | shoh djee BAW-lah | Awesome! |
| Tô de boa. | toh djee BOH-ah | I'm chilling. / I'm good. |
| Fala sério! | FAH-lah SEH-ree-oo | No way! / Come on! |