Learning essential Portuguese phrases is key to navigating the cultures of Brazil and Portugal with confidence. This guide provides a curated selection of useful phrases for everyday situations, from greetings and basic interactions to travel needs and dining.
With clear English translations and pronunciations, these phrases will help you communicate effectively and make your experience in Portuguese-speaking environments more enjoyable. Whether you’re traveling, moving, or just expanding your language skills, this guide offers the foundational phrases you need to succeed.
1. Basic Greetings
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bom dia | Good morning | bohng DEE-ah |
| Boa tarde | Good afternoon | BOH-ah TAHR-jee |
| Boa noite | Good night | BOH-ah NOY-teh |
| Olá | Hello (formal) | oh-LAH |
| Oi | Hello/Hi (informal) | oy |
| Alô | Hello (on the phone — Brazilian Portuguese) | ah-LOH |
| Está lá | Hello (on the phone — European Portuguese) | eh-STAH lah |
| Adeus | Goodbye (formal) | ah-DEH-oos |
| Tchau! | Bye/See you later (informal) | chow |
| Até amanhã | See you tomorrow | ah-TEH ah-MAN-yah |
| Tudo bem? | How are you? | TOO-doo behm |
| Como tá? | How are you? (informal) | KOH-moo tah |
| E aí? | How are you? (informal) | eh ah-EE |
| Como você está? | How are you? (formal) | KOH-moo voh-SEH es-TAH |
| Como está? | How are you? (formal) | KOH-moo es-TAH |
| Eu estou bem, e você/e tú? | I’m good, and you? | eh-ooh es-TOH behm, ee voh-SEH/ee TOO |
| Bem, e você? | Good, and you? | behm, ee voh-SEH |
| Como vai? | How’s it going? | KOH-moo vah |
| Prazer | Nice to meet you | prah-ZER |
| Foi um prazer | It was good to meet you | foy oong prah-ZER |
| O senhor/A senhora | You (formal)/ Sir/Madam | oo sen-YOHR / ah sen-YOHR-ah |
| Qual é o seu nome? | What is your name? | kwahl eh oo say-oo NOH-mee |
| Me chamo… / Meu nome é… | My name is… | meh SHAH-mo / meh-oo NOH-mee eh |
2. Basic Words and Phrases
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sim | Yes | seem |
| Não | No | now |
| Por favor | Please | poor fah-VOHR |
| Com licença | Excuse me | kohm lee-SEHN-sah |
| Obrigado/Obrigada | Thank you | oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| De nada | You’re welcome | jee NAH-dah |
| Desculpa/Desculpe | I’m sorry | des-KOOL-pah / des-KOOL-peh |
| Perdão | Forgive me/Pardon me | pehr-DAH |
| Por quê? | Why? | poor KAY? |
| Estou com saudades | I miss you (Brazilian Portuguese) | es-TOH kohm sah-OW-desh |
| Tenho saudades | I miss you (European Portuguese) | TEN-yoo sah-OW-desh |
| Vamos! | Let’s go! | VAH-moos |
| Oi | Hello (informal) | oy |
| Que horas são? | What time is it? | keh OR-ahs sah-oh? |
| Preciso de sua/tua ajuda | I need your help (Use sua in Brazil and tua in Portugal) | preh-SEE-zoo deh SOO-ah / TOO-ah ah-JOO-dah |
| Eu estou doente | I’m sick | eh-ooh es-TOH doo-EN-chee |
3. Essential Questions and Phrases
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Fala inglês? | Do you speak English? | FAH-lah een-GLEHS? |
| Alguém aqui fala inglês? | Does anyone here speak English? | al-GAYM ah-KEE FAH-lah een-GLEHS |
| Não compreendo | I don’t understand | now kohm-pree-EN-doo |
| Eu compreendo | I understand | eh-ooh kohm-pree-EN-doo |
| Não entendi | I didn’t understand | now en-ten-DEE |
| Entendi | I understood/I understand | en-ten-DEE |
| Eu não sei | I don’t know | eh-ooh now say |
| Como se diz… em português? | How do you say… in Portuguese? | KOH-moo see DEEZ… em poor-too-GAYSH |
| Fale mais devagar, por favor | Please speak more slowly | FAH-lee my-eess day-vah-GAR, poor fah-VOHR |
| Que horas são? | What time is it? | keh OR-ahs sah-oh? |
| Preciso de sua/tua ajuda | I need your help (Use sua in Brazil and tua in Portugal) | preh-SEE-zoo deh SOO-ah / TOO-ah ah-JOO-dah |
| Eu estou doente | I’m sick | eh-ooh es-TOH doo-EN-chee |
4. Essential Portuguese Travel Phrases
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Preciso trocar dinheiro | I need to exchange money. | preh-SEE-zoo troh-KAHR djee-NYEY-roo |
| Como chego ao (à)… ? | How do I get to…? | KOH-moo SHAY-go ah (ah)… |
| Como chego à estação de trem? | How do I get to the train station? | KOH-moo SHAY-go ah ehs-TAH-syoh-deh djee TREM |
| Como chego ao ponto de ônibus? | How do I get to the bus stop? | KOH-moo SHAY-go ah PON-toh djee OWN-ee-boos |
| Para onde vai esse trem/ônibus? | Where does this train/bus go? | PAH-rah ON-jeh vah EH-see TREM/OWN-ee-boos |
| A que horas chega… ? | What time does the… arrive? | ah keh OR-ahs SHEH-gah |
| Sabe onde fica… ? | Do you know where the… is? | SAH-bee OHN-deh FEE-kah |
| Você pode me mostrar no mapa? | Could you show me on the map [where this is]? | voh-SEH POH-jee mee mohs-TRAR noo MAH-pah |
| Onde é o banheiro? | Where is the bathroom? (Brazilian Portuguese) | ON-deh eh oo ban-YAY-roh |
| Onde fica a casa de banho? | Where is the bathroom? (European Portuguese) | ON-deh FEE-kah ah KAH-sah djee BAN-yoh |
| Carro | Car | KAH-hoh |
| Ônibus | Bus (Brazilian Portuguese) | OWN-ee-boos |
| Autocarro | Bus (European Portuguese) | ow-toh-KAH-hoh |
| Avião | Plane | ah-vee-AWN |
| Trem | Train | TREM |
| Táxi | Taxi | TAHK-see |
| Bicicleta | Bike | bee-see-KLEH-tah |
| Parada de ônibus | Bus stop | pah-RAH-dah djee OWN-ee-boos |
5. Asking for Directions
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Pode me dizer como chegar… ? | Could you tell me how to get to…? | POH-jee mee dee-ZER KOH-moo sheh-GAHR |
| Onde está… ? | Where is…? | ON-deh es-TAH |
| O hotel | The hotel | oo oh-TEL |
| O quarto | The room | oo KWAHR-toh |
| O museu | The museum | oo moo-ZAY-oo |
| O parque | The park | oo PAHR-kee |
| A catedral | The cathedral | ah kah-teh-DRAL |
| A cachoeira | The waterfall | ah kah-SHWAY-rah |
| O aeroporto | The airport | oo ah-eh-roh-PORT-oh |
| Esquerda | Left | es-KEHR-dah |
| Direita | Right | dee-RAY-tah |
| Reto | Straight ahead | HEH-toh |
| Por aí | Around there | poor ah-EE |
| Em frente | In front of | em FREN-teh |
| Atrás | Behind | ah-TRAHS |
| Rua | Road | ROO-ah |
| Avenida | Avenue | ah-veh-NEE-dah |
| Estrada | Highway | es-TRAH-dah |
| Faixa | Lane | FAI-shah |
| Seguir | To follow | seh-GEER |
| Virar | To turn | vee-AR |
| Vira a… | Turn… | VEE-rah ah… |
6. Shopping
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto custa? | How much does it cost? | KWAN-toh KOOS-tah |
| Quanto custa esta… ? | How much does this… cost? | KWAN-toh KOOS-tah EH-stah |
| Que horas abre/fecha? | What time does this place open/close? | keh OR-ahs AH-bree / FEH-shah |
| Que horas vocês abrem/fecham? | What time do you open/close? | keh OR-ahs voh-SEH-ss AH-brem / FEH-shah |
| Vou pagar só 5 dólares. Nada mais. | I will only pay five dollars. Nothing more. | voh pah-GAHR sohw SEEN-coh DOH-lah-rees NAH-dah myss |
| Você tem… ? | Do you have…? (Used when asking for things) | voh-SEH tehm |
| Camisa | Shirt | kah-MEE-zah |
| Saia | Skirt | SAH-yah |
| Calças | Pants | KAHL-sahs |
| Vestido | Dress | ves-TEE-doh |
| Sapatos | Shoes | sah-PAH-tohs |
| Souvenir | Souvenir | soo-veh-NEER |
| Lembrança | Souvenir | lem-BRAHN-sah |
7. Words and Phrases for Food
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Eu quero… | I want… | eh-ooh KEH-roo |
| Pode dar me…, por favor? | Can you please give me…? | POH-jee dahr mee…, poor fah-VOHR |
| Bebidas | Drinks | beh-BEE-dah |
| Água | Water | AH-gwah |
| Refrigerante | Soda | heh-free-zhee-RAHN-teh |
| Suco | Juice | SOO-koo |
| Leite | Milk | LAY-chee |
| Vinho | Wine | VEEN-yoh |
| Cerveja | Beer | ser-VEH-jah |
| Comida | Food | koh-MEE-dah |
| Salada | Salad | sah-LAH-dah |
| Arroz | Rice | ah-HOHS |
| Feijão | Beans | fay-ZHAO |
| Carne | Meat | KAR-nee |
| Frango | Chicken | FRAHN-goo |
| Sobremesa | Dessert | soh-breh-MAY-zah |
| Bolo | Cake | BOH-loo |
| Sorvete | Ice cream | sor-VEH-teh |
| Maçã | Apple | mah-SAH |
| Mamão | Papaya | mah-MAH |
| Morango | Strawberry | moh-RAHN-goo |
| Manga | Mango | MAHN-gah |
| Maracujá | Passionfruit | mah-rah-KOO-zah |
| Goiaba | Guava | goh-YAH-bah |
| Açaí | Acai berry | ah-SAH-ee |
| Caju | Cashew fruit | kah-ZHOO |
8. Emergency Situations
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Socorro! | Help! | soh-KOHR-roo |
| Preciso de ajuda! | I need help! | preh-SEE-zoo deh ah-JOO-dah |
| Chame um médico! | Call a doctor! | SHAH-mee oong MEH-dee-koh |
| Onde fica o hospital? | Where is the hospital? | ON-deh FEE-kah oo oh-spee-TAHL |
| Estou perdido(a)! | I am lost! | es-TOH pehr-DEE-doo / pehr-DEE-dah |
| Perdi meus documentos | I lost my documents | pehr-DEE myoos doo-koo-MEN-tohs |
| Fui roubado(a) | I was robbed | FOO-ee roh-BAH-doo / roh-BAH-dah |
| Preciso de um policial | I need a police officer | preh-SEE-zoo deh oong poo-lee-SEE-al |
| Pode me ajudar? | Can you help me? | POH-jee mee ah-JOO-dar |
| Aconteceu um acidente | There was an accident | ah-kon-teh-SEW oong ah-see-DEN-chee |
| Não sei onde estou | I don’t know where I am | now say ON-deh es-TOH |
9. Health and Wellness
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Como você está se sentindo? | How are you feeling? | KOH-moo voh-SEH es-TAH see sen-TEE-ndo |
| Estou com dor de cabeça | I have a headache | es-TOH kohm DOHR djee kah-BEH-sah |
| Estou com febre | I have a fever | es-TOH kohm FEH-bree |
| Tenho tosse | I have a cough | TEN-yoo TOSS-ee |
| Sinto-me mal | I feel unwell | SEEN-toh mee MAHL |
| Estou com náuseas | I feel nauseous | es-TOH kohm NAU-see-ahs |
| Você pode me recomendar um remédio? | Can you recommend a medicine? | voh-SEH POH-jee mee heh-koh-men-DAHR oong heh-MAY-djee-oh |
| Onde fica a farmácia? | Where is the pharmacy? | ON-deh FEE-kah ah fahr-MAH-see-ah |
| Preciso de um médico agora | I need a doctor now | preh-SEE-zoo deh oong MEH-dee-koh ah-GOH-rah |
| Vou ao dentista | I am going to the dentist | voh ow den-CHEE-stah |
| Preciso fazer um exame | I need to have an exam | preh-SEE-zoo fah-ZAYR oong eh-ZAH-mee |
10. Accommodations
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Onde é o meu quarto? | Where is my room? | ON-deh eh oo myoo KWAHR-toh |
| Qual é o número do meu quarto? | What is the number of my room? | kwahl eh oo NOO-meh-roh doo myoo KWAHR-toh |
| Eu tenho uma reserva | I have a reservation | eh-ooh TEN-yoo oong oo-mah heh-zer-VAH |
| O café da manhã está incluído? | Is breakfast included? | oo kah-FAY dah MAH-nyah es-TAH een-KLOO-ee-doh? |
| Que horas é o check-out? | What time is check-out? | keh OR-ahs eh oo shek-OUT? |
| Há um estacionamento? | Is there parking? | ah oong es-tah-see-oh-NAH-men-toh? |
| Acesso à internet | Internet access | ah-SAY-soh ah een-teh-REHT |
| O hotel tem uma piscina? | Does the hotel have a pool? | oo oh-TEL tehm oo-mah pee-SEE-nah? |
| Posso ver o quarto? | Can I see the room? | PAW-soh vehr oo KWAHR-toh |
| Está reservado? | Is it booked? | es-TAH heh-zehr-VAH-doo? |
11. Social and Cultural Etiquette
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Muito prazer | Nice to meet you | MOY-toh prah-ZER |
| Prazer em conhecê-lo/la | Nice to meet you | prah-ZER em koh-nyeh-SEH-loo / lah |
| Como você está? | How are you? | KOH-moo voh-SEH es-TAH |
| Desculpe-me por qualquer coisa. | Sorry for anything. | des-KOOL-pee mee poor kwahl-KEHR KOH-ee-zah |
| Sinto muito pelo inconveniente | I’m sorry for the inconvenience | SEEN-toh MOY-toh peh-loo een-kohm-vee-en-TEE |
| De nada | You’re welcome | jee NAH-dah |
| Não se preocupe | Don’t worry | now see preh-oh-KOO-pee |
| Com licença | Excuse me | kohm lee-SEHN-sah |
| Pode me dar um pouco de espaço? | Can you give me some space? | POH-jee mee dahr oong POOH-koo djee es-PAH-soo |
| Me desculpe, não entendi. | I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. | mee des-KOOL-pee, now en-ten-DEE |
| Não se esqueça de… | Don’t forget to… | now see es-KEH-sah djee… |
12. Transportation
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Onde fica a estação de trem? | Where is the train station? | ON-deh FEE-kah ah es-TAH-syoh-deh djee TREM |
| Qual o próximo trem para…? | Which is the next train to…? | kwahl oo PROH-see-mo TREM PAH-rah? |
| Quanto tempo leva para chegar? | How long does it take to get there? | KWAN-toh TEM-poh LEH-vah PAH-rah sheh-GAHR? |
| Onde posso comprar um bilhete? | Where can I buy a ticket? | ON-deh PAW-soh kohm-PRAR oong bee-LYEH-chee |
| Eu preciso de um táxi. | I need a taxi. | eh-ooh preh-SEE-zoo deh oong TAHK-see |
| Qual é o preço da passagem? | What is the price of the ticket? | kwahl eh oo PREH-soh dah pah-SAH-zhem |
| O próximo ônibus para… | The next bus to… | oo PROH-see-mo OWN-ee-boos PAH-rah |
| Chegada e partida | Arrival and departure | sheh-GAH-dah ee par-CHEE-dah |
| Você pode me chamar um táxi? | Can you call a taxi for me? | voh-SEH POH-jee mee shah-MAHR oong TAHK-see? |
| Estou a caminho do aeroporto. | I’m on my way to the airport. | es-TOH ah kah-MEE-nyoo doo ah-eh-roh-POR-toh |
