Learning Portuguese opens the door to rich cultures, beautiful travel destinations, and countless new connections. If you’re a beginner, the first step is mastering everyday phrases like greetings and travel vocabulary. Let’s explore some essential Portuguese for beginners that will help you get started with ease.
Here’s a more detailed and information-packed version of the Portuguese for Beginners guide, including additional vocabulary and phrases in the tables for each category:
Basic Portuguese Greetings
Greeting people properly is essential. Here are even more ways to say hello and goodbye, plus polite phrases to use in various situations.
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Olá | Hello | oh-LAH |
| Bom dia | Good morning | bohm DEE-ah |
| Boa tarde | Good afternoon | bo-ah TAR-deh |
| Boa noite | Good evening/night | bo-ah NOY-teh |
| Tchau | Bye | chow |
| Até logo | See you soon | ah-TEH LOH-goo |
| Até amanhã | See you tomorrow | ah-TEH ah-mahn-YAH |
| Como vai? | How are you? | KOH-moo vah-ee? |
| Tudo bem? | Everything good? | TOO-doo BEHM? |
| Muito prazer | Nice to meet you | MOY-too prah-ZEHR |
| Com licença | Excuse me (polite) | kohm lee-SEN-sah |
| Desculpe | I’m sorry | des-KOOL-peh |
| Por favor | Please | pohr fah-VOHR |
| Obrigado/Obrigada | Thank you (m/f) | oh-bree-GAH-doh/dah |
| De nada | You’re welcome | deh NAH-dah |
| Parabéns | Congratulations | pah-rah-BEHNS |
Example dialogue:
A: Olá! Tudo bem?
B: Tudo ótimo! E você?
A: Também estou bem, obrigado!
Going to a Restaurant
Dining out is much more enjoyable when you can read the menu and communicate your choices. Here are expanded phrases and vocabulary for ordering food, asking for recommendations, and other useful expressions.
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| O menu, por favor. | The menu, please. | oh MEH-noo, pohr fah-VOHR |
| A conta, por favor. | The bill, please. | ah KON-tah, pohr fah-VOHR |
| O que você recomenda? | What do you recommend? | oh KEE voh-SEH reh-kom-MEN-dah? |
| Eu gostaria de… | I would like… | eh-ooh gohs-TAH-ree-ah deh… |
| Pode trazer mais água? | Can you bring more water? | POH-jee trah-ZEHR mahee-z AH-gwah? |
| Quanto custa isso? | How much does this cost? | KWAHN-toh KOOS-tah EE-soo? |
Food items:
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Entrada | Appetizer | ehn-TRAH-dah |
| Prato principal | Main course | PRAH-toh preen-see-PAHL |
| Sobremesa | Dessert | soh-breh-MEH-zah |
| Bebida | Beverage | beh-BEE-dah |
| Sopa | Soup | SOH-pah |
| Salada | Salad | sah-LAH-dah |
| Carne de frango | Chicken | KAHR-nee jeh FRAHN-goo |
| Carne de boi | Beef | KAHR-nee jeh BOY |
| Carne de porco | Pork | KAHR-nee jeh POR-koh |
| Legumes | Vegetables | leh-GOO-mehs |
| Peixe | Fish | PAY-she |
| Arroz | Rice | ah-HOZ |
| Feijão | Beans | fay-ZHOWN |
| Suco de laranja | Orange juice | SOO-koo jeh lah-RAHN-zhah |
| Vinho tinto | Red wine | VEEN-yoo TEEN-toh |
| Água com gás | Sparkling water | AH-gwah kohm GAHZ |
Example dialogue:
Waiter: Boa noite, o que você gostaria de pedir?
You: Eu gostaria de uma sopa e um prato de frango, por favor.
Getting Around Town
If you’re navigating in a new city, knowing how to ask for directions and transport details is crucial. Here are more phrases and terms related to transportation and directions.
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Onde fica a estação? | Where is the station? | ON-jee FEE-kah ah eh-stah-SAWN? |
| Como eu chego ao aeroporto? | How do I get to the airport? | KOH-moh eh-ooh SHEH-go ow ah-ee-roh-POR-too? |
| O ônibus passa aqui? | Does the bus pass here? | oh OHN-nee-boos PAH-sah ah-KEE? |
| Quanto custa a passagem? | How much is the ticket? | KWAHN-toh KOOS-tah ah pah-SAH-jehn? |
| A que horas sai o trem? | What time does the train leave? | ah keh OH-rahs sah-ee oh TREHM? |
| Onde posso pegar um táxi? | Where can I catch a taxi? | ON-jee POH-soh peh-GAHR oon TAHK-see? |
| A bicicleta | Bicycle | ah bee-see-KLEH-tah |
| A pé | On foot | ah PEH |
| O metrô | Subway | oh meh-TROH |
| A estação de trem | Train station | ah eh-STAH-sawn jeh TREHM |
Directions:
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Vire à esquerda | Turn left | VEER-eh ah ehs-KEHR-dah |
| Vire à direita | Turn right | VEER-eh ah dee-RAY-tah |
| Siga em frente | Go straight ahead | SEE-gah ehn FREHN-chee |
| Atrás | Behind | ah-TRAHS |
| Ao lado de | Next to | ow LAH-doo deh |
| Entre | Between | EHN-tchee |
| Perto de | Near | PEHR-toh deh |
| Longe de | Far from | LOHN-zhee deh |
| Na esquina | At the corner | nah eh-SKEE-nah |
| No semáforo | At the traffic light | noh seh-MAH-foh-roh |
Example dialogue:
You: Onde fica o museu?
Local: Vire à esquerda na próxima rua, depois siga em frente.
Going Shopping
Shopping can be an adventure when you know the right phrases. Here’s an expanded list of useful expressions and common items you might want to buy.
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto custa? | How much does it cost? | KWAN-toh KOOS-tah |
| Posso experimentar? | Can I try it on? | POH-soh esh-peh-ree-men-TAHR? |
| Aceitam cartão de crédito? | Do you accept credit cards? | ah-SAY-tahm kar-TOWN jeh KREH-jee-toh? |
| Eu quero comprar isso. | I want to buy this. | eh-ooh KAY-roh kom-PRAHR EE-soo |
| Tem desconto? | Is there a discount? | TEHM des-KON-too? |
| Onde fica o provador? | Where is the fitting room? | ON-jee FEE-kah oh proh-vah-DOR? |
Shopping items:
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Pão | Bread | pown |
| Leite | Milk | LAY-tchee |
| Queijo | Cheese | KAY-zhoo |
| Carne | Meat | KAHR-nee |
| Frutas | Fruits | FROO-tahs |
| Legumes | Vegetables | leh-GOO-mehs |
| Café | Coffee | kah-FEH |
| Açúcar | Sugar | ah-SOO-kahr |
| Sal | Salt | sahl |
| Chocolate | Chocolate | SHOH-koh-LAH-tchee |
| Roupa | Clothes | HOH-pah |
| Sapatos | Shoes | sah-PAH-tohs |
| Relógio | Watch | heh-LOH-zhee |
Example dialogue:
Salesperson: Posso ajudar?
You: Sim, quanto custa este relógio?
Conclusion
With a variety of essential vocabulary and phrases, you’ll be better equipped to navigate your trip, order food, shop, and converse in basic Portuguese. Keep practicing, and you’ll feel more confident speaking Portuguese in no time!
