In this lesson you'll learn:
- How to say hello and goodbye at any time of day
- How to introduce yourself and ask someone's name
- The polite words Brazilians use all the time
Hello and goodbye
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Oi! | oy | Hi! (the most common greeting in Brazil) |
| Olá! | oh-LAH | Hello! (a little more formal) |
| Bom dia! | bohng DJEE-ah | Good morning! |
| Boa tarde! | BOH-ah TAR-djee | Good afternoon! |
| Boa noite! | BOH-ah NOY-tchee | Good evening! / Good night! |
| Tchau! | chow | Bye! |
| Até logo! | ah-TEH LAW-goo | See you later! |
| Até amanhã! | ah-TEH ah-mah-NYAHNG | See you tomorrow! |
Tip: Boa noite means both "good evening" when you arrive and "good night" when you leave. Brazilians switch from boa tarde to boa noite once it gets dark.
How are you?
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Tudo bem? | TOO-doo bayng | How's it going? (literally "all good?") |
| Tudo bem! | TOO-doo bayng | All good! / I'm fine! |
| Tudo ótimo! | TOO-doo AW-tchee-moo | Everything's great! |
| Como vai? | KOH-moo vai | How are you doing? |
| E você? | ee voh-SAY | And you? |
| Mais ou menos. | mice oh MAY-noos | So-so. |
Brazilians often answer Tudo bem? with exactly the same words: Tudo bem! It works like "Hey, how's it going?" and "Good, you?"
Introducing yourself
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Meu nome é… | MEH-oo NOH-mee eh | My name is… |
| Eu me chamo… | EH-oo mee SHAH-moo | I'm called… |
| Como você se chama? | KOH-moo voh-SAY see SHAH-mah | What's your name? |
| Prazer! / Muito prazer! | prah-ZEHR / MWEEN-too prah-ZEHR | Nice to meet you! |
| Igualmente! | ee-gwow-MEN-tchee | Likewise! |
| De onde você é? | djee OHN-djee voh-SAY eh | Where are you from? |
| Eu sou dos Estados Unidos. | EH-oo soh dooz ees-TAH-dooz oo-NEE-doos | I'm from the United States. |
| Eu moro em… | EH-oo MAW-roo ayng | I live in… |
Where are you from? Most country names take a small word in front: Eu sou do Canadá (Canada), Eu sou da Inglaterra (England), Eu sou dos Estados Unidos (the United States). Don't worry about which one to use yet; people will understand you either way.
Being polite
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Por favor. | poor fah-VOHR | Please. |
| Obrigado. | oh-bree-GAH-doo | Thank you. (said by a man) |
| Obrigada. | oh-bree-GAH-dah | Thank you. (said by a woman) |
| De nada. | djee NAH-dah | You're welcome. |
| Com licença. | kohng lee-SEN-sah | Excuse me. (to get past or get attention) |
| Desculpa! | djees-KOOW-pah | Sorry! |
Obrigado or obrigada? It depends on who is speaking, not who you're thanking. A man always says obrigado, and a woman always says obrigada.
A first conversation
Ana meets Tom at a party in São Paulo.
| Who | Portuguese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | Oi! Tudo bem? | Hi! How's it going? |
| Tom | Tudo bem, e você? | Good, and you? |
| Ana | Tudo ótimo! Como você se chama? | Great! What's your name? |
| Tom | Meu nome é Tom. E você? | My name is Tom. And you? |
| Ana | Eu me chamo Ana. Muito prazer! | I'm Ana. Nice to meet you! |
| Tom | Igualmente! | Likewise! |
| Ana | De onde você é? | Where are you from? |
| Tom | Eu sou dos Estados Unidos. E você? | I'm from the United States. And you? |
| Ana | Eu sou daqui, de São Paulo. | I'm from here, São Paulo. |
| Tom | Legal! | Cool! |
Cultural note
Brazilians are warm when they greet. Friends usually hug or kiss on the cheek (how many kisses depends on the city: one in São Paulo, often two in Rio). In messages, it's normal to sign off with Beijos ("kisses") to friends and family, and Abraço ("a hug") to almost anyone, even colleagues.
Practice
How would you say these in Portuguese?
- Good morning!
- Thank you (if you're a woman)
- What's your name?
- Nice to meet you!
- Where are you from?
- See you tomorrow!
Show answers
- Bom dia!
- Obrigada!
- Como você se chama?
- Muito prazer! (or just Prazer!)
- De onde você é?
- Até amanhã!