Useful Guide To 50+ Basic Portuguese Words

Do you want to learn the fundamentals of Portuguese like native Portuguese speakers? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s begin with some basic Portuguese words and phrases that you will undoubtedly need for travel or conversation with friends.

The Portuguese language is not only the second most spoken Romance language, but it also has over 258 million speakers globally. That implies that if you start learning the language now, you’ll have the opportunity to meet millions of new people! Learning Portuguese words and eventually the Portuguese language will allow you to visit lovely destinations like Brazil and Portugal without having to take a dictionary with you. You’ll be able to interact with locals, try different foods (pastel de nata anyone? ), and amaze your friends and prospective employers with your intriguing language abilities.

Are you ready to conquer the world by learning Portuguese words? You’ll get there eventually, but first, let’s learn common Portuguese words.

Basic Portuguese Words You Will Use!

1. Oi/Olá – Hi or Hello

Saying hi to someone is the best way to start chatting! Try saying Oi! the Portuguese Words next time you meet someone new.

2. Bom Dia – Good Morning

We all want to start the morning on a good note. Mastering this phrase will help you do just that.

3. Boa Tarde – Good Afternoon

If you walk into a shop in the afternoon and want to greet the store owner, consider saying boa tarde!

4. Boa Noite – Good Night

The day has come to an end. End it well with a simple boa noite.

5. Prazer – Nice to meet you.

This phrase will help you stay polite in all of your interactions.

6. Por favor – Please

What’s the magic word? Please is a helpful phrase to master in any language.

7. De nada – You’re welcome

Staying cordial to those you meet will leave them with a great impression. Remember to say de nada after somebody thanks you!

8. Obrigada/o – Thank you
You can use this at restaurants, museums, or at a new friend’s house. Thank you is always in style!

9. Qual é o seu nome? – What is your name?

Names are part of who we are. Learning somebody’s name will turn them from a stranger into a new friend.

10. O meu nome é or Me chamo…. – My name is…..

Help people get to know you! By telling others your name, you’ll be on your way to building lasting relationships.

11. Tudo bem? – How are you?

All good? Checking in with someone lets them know you care.

12. Como vai? – How’s it going?

Keep it casual with a simple como vai?

13. Eu estou bem – I am good

If you want to answer someone when they ask how you are, let them know you are good with eu estou bem.

14. E você/E tú? – And you?

The former is used in Brazil and the latter is used in Portugal and sometimes in Brazil. Adding this into a sentence will let the other person know you are interested in how they are too.

15. Até amanhã – See you tomorrow

Let your new friends know you’ll see them soon by saying até amanhã.

16. Estou com fome – I am hungry

Food is a staple of any culture. If you’re hungry, you’ll surely have a bunch of delicious options to choose from.

17. Eu não sei – I don’t know

Sometimes it’s best to just be honest. By admitting you don’t know something, you’ll open yourself up to new knowledge.

18. Sim/não – Yes/no

Keep it short and sweet with these two critical words.

19. Com licença – Excuse me

Stay cordial when moving through crowded streets with com licença.

20. Que horas são? – What time is it?

Forgot your watch at home? Ask someone on the street for the time!

21. Eu estou aprendendo Português – I am learning Portuguese.

Locals will be thrilled to find out that you are learning Portuguese, so make sure to let them know!

Furthermore, the novice level of learning Portuguese is one of the most difficult aspects of learning a new language. Perhaps you’re already used to introducing yourself, asking simple inquiries, and receiving directions in Portuguese. It’s time to express more complicated thoughts, grasp dialogues in multiple tenses, and feel comfortable using the language. This Basic Portuguese Phrases tutorial is ideal for moving beyond the basic level!

Basic Portuguese Words And Phrases You Need To Know!

Basic Portuguese Words

This page contains over 50 fundamental Portuguese terms and phrases for both casual and formal interactions. Learning these phrases will guarantee that you always have ready-to-use sentences to employ in a variety of scenarios, as well as show you how to develop your own phrases using similar patterns. By the conclusion of the book, you’ll be able to reminisce about the past, explain your decisions, provide recommendations, and much more. We’ve even provided some sample conversations to help you understand.

1. Talking About The Past: Experiences And Stories

You spent a lot of time as a novice mastering the present tense and learning the new word on daily basis. It is a fantastic approach to begin started since it allows you to become acquainted with many verbs in their most basic form. However, in order to have better interactions in Portuguese, you must understand how to use the past tense. You’ll be able to tell tales, relate old experiences, and talk about what you’ve done and felt in the past this way.

The phrases below serve as a prototype for several helpful past-tense patterns. You can always tell your own anecdotes using many words and other nouns and verbs. Please check this post if you want to know about The Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language!

Passei uma noite muito agradável.

I had a very pleasant evening.

Literally: I spent a very pleasant night.

Me diverti muito com você.

I had a lot of fun with you.

Ontem eu encontrei uma carteira na rua.

Yesterday, I found a wallet in the street.

Aquele foi o pior dia da minha vida.

That was the worst day of my life.

Quando eu era criança, eu não tinha medo de altura.

When I was a kid, I wasn’t afraid of heights.

Literally: When I was a kid, I didn’t have fear of height.

Eu já viajei para o Japão.

I have already traveled to Japan.

Teve uma vez que eu me perdi na floresta.

Once, I got lost in the forest.

Literally: There was one time when I lost myself in the forest.

No ano passado, comecei a aprender a tocar piano.

Last year, I started to learn how to play the piano.

Literally: In the last year, I started to learn to play the piano.

Já faço aulas de dança há seis meses.

I’ve been taking dance lessons for six months.

Literally: I have already taken dance lessons for six months. 

Notice that the sentence in Portuguese uses the verb in the present tense since the action began in the past but is still ongoing. 

2. Talking About The Future: Making Plans

To create plans, you can use either the present tense with a time-indicating phrase or the future tense.

We’ve included terms for both professional and casual situations in this area. The vocabulary is slightly different, as are the verb forms. This is because, while speaking casually in Brazilian Portuguese, the future tense of the auxiliary verb or (“to go”) is combined with the infinitive form of the main verb. In formal circumstances, the verb is usually used in the future tense.

For example:

  • Informal: Você vai viajar amanhã? (“Will you travel tomorrow?”)
  • Formal: O senhor viajará amanhã? (“Will you travel tomorrow [sir]?”)

Formal

Nós iremos discutir este assunto na reunião desta tarde.

We will discuss this matter in this afternoon’s meeting.

É possível agendar uma consulta para semana que vem?

Is it possible to schedule an appointment for next week?

Podemos marcar uma reunião por Zoom na próxima semana para discutir os detalhes.

We can arrange a meeting by Zoom next week to discuss the details.

Podemos remarcar a apresentação.

We can reschedule the presentation.

O que o senhor/a senhora fará neste final de semana?

What will you do this weekend?

Literally: What will the sir/the lady do this weekend?

Casual situations

O que você vai fazer neste fim de semana?

What are you going to do this weekend?

Vamos marcar algo!

Let’s schedule/arrange something!

Vamos combinar um jantar?

Let’s arrange a dinner?

Nos vemos no sábado?

See you Saturday?

Literally: See ourselves on Saturday?

Você tem tempo para sair hoje?

Do you have time to go out today?

Que tal pedir uma pizza esta noite?

How about ordering a pizza tonight?

Literally: What about ask a pizza tonight?

Posso levar meu namorado/minha namorada?

Can I take my boyfriend/girlfriend?

Vou deixar para a próxima.

I’ll leave it for next time.

Literally: I’ll leave it for the next

3. Giving Explanations And Reasons While Speaking Portuguese Words

When delivering a narrative or having a conversation, we frequently need to explain the “why” behind our actions. You may simply accomplish this—and raise the quality of your sentences—by employing one of the various Portuguese conjunctions at your disposal!

After all, being able to articulate our reasons is critical for engaging with others in Portuguese Words and basic Portuguese phrases. Simultaneously, mastering these intermediate Portuguese words and patterns will help you grasp the reasons and explanations that others provide you and will help you to speak Portuguese. Related Article Link: 5 Best Languages To Learn In 2022

Eu contei a verdade para a professora, porque eu não gosto de mentir (in Portuguese Words and basic Portuguese phrases)

I told the truth to the teacher because I don’t like to lie.

Nós temos que pensar nos prós e contras.

We have to think about the pros and cons.

Eu vou esperar pelo outro ônibus, então temos tempo para conversar.

I will wait for the other bus, so we have time to talk.

É bom que você não quebre nada, senão terá que pagar.

You better not break anything; otherwise, you’ll have to pay.

Literally: It’s good that you don’t break anything; otherwise, you’ll have to pay. 

More Portuguese Words

Formal Portuguese Words  

The following are a few Portuguese words that can help you talk formerly with anyone. These words are generally used daily for extending etiquettes and displaying ethics.

  • Com licença– means ‘Excuse me.’
  • Obrigado– means ‘Thank You (masculine).’
  • Obrigada– means ‘Thank You (feminine).’
  • Por favor– means ‘Please.’
  • De nada– means ‘You’re Welcome.’
  • Perdão– means ‘Pardon me.’
  • Prazer– means ‘Nice to meet you.’
  • O Senhor– means ‘You (for a man).’
  • A senhora– means ‘You (for a woman).’
  • Desculpa– means ‘I am sorry (less formal tone).’
  • Desculpe– means ‘I am sorry (more formal tone).’
  • Sim– means ‘Yes.’
  • Ão– means ‘No.’

Essential Phrases In Portuguese

Now it’s time for you to start gearing up on Portuguese phrases. You don’t have to start learning complex Portuguese phrases immediately. Instead, you should opt for learning short phrases first.

  • Qual é o seu nome?– means ‘What is your name?’
  • Eu estou doente– means ‘I am sick.’
  • Preciso de sua– means ‘I need your help.’
  • Vamos!– means ‘Let’s go.’
  • Me chamo– means ‘My name is…..’
  • Tenho saudades– means ‘I miss you.’

What Is The Difference Between European And Brazillian Portuguese?

Not many people know, but there exist different versions of Portuguese. Portuguese is the native language of Portugal and Brazil, but the Portuguese dialect spoken in the two countries is utterly different.

The variation in the two dialects can be explained by the difference between British English and American English. Therefore, while learning Portuguese, you should also decide which dialect you want to opt for. If you are going to Brazil, learning Portugual or European Portuguese would be of no use. Related Post Link: Least Spoken Languages

3 Tips To Learn Portuguese Words Fast

Learning a new language as fast as possible is a dream of everyone. If you also want to learn Portuguese in no time, then check out the following three tips.

  • Pronunciation and accent are probably the two most important parts of learning a language. Therefore, to master the correct Portuguese pronunciation, it is suggested to learn the language aloud. You don’t just have to learn the words but have to speak them. Therefore, while learning Portuguese, spell the Portuguese words and words aloud to pick up the correct dialect.
  • Try reading books and movies in the Portuguese language. You can watch a Portuguese movie with the subtitles of your native language during the initial stages. In this way, you will be able to learn how to speak Portuguese words. Besides, books and movies are a more accessible and entertaining approach to learning a language.
  • Another excellent method to accelerate the learning process is regularly conversing with a native Portuguese speaker.

Ready For Learning More Words In Portuguese?

Portuguese is a handy language to be spoken and to be learned. There are basic Portuguese words that ought to be learned if one has to visit Portugal or have a conversation with people who communicate in Portuguese.

In this article, one can clearly grasp basic ideas and basic words to communicate in Portuguese with indigenous Portuguese people in an easy way. You must have realized after readings this article that Portuguese is not that much tough and anyone who has a good command of English can easily ace this language.

The Ling app has got your back! If you wish to talk to native speakers with confidence and enjoy easy conversations.

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