How do you say everyday phrases in Brazilian Portuguese?
Here are the twelve, each with its short answer; open a page for the variants, the recordings and the common mistakes.
- Thank you: obrigado (a man), obrigada (a woman), valeu
- Sorry: desculpa, desculpe, sinto muito
- Excuse me: com licença
- I don't understand: Não entendi
- Do you speak English?: Você fala inglês?
- Where is the bathroom?: Onde fica o banheiro?
- How much is it?: Quanto custa?, Quanto é?
- What's your name?: Qual é o seu nome?
- I love you: Te amo
- Happy birthday: Parabéns!
- Good luck: Boa sorte!
- I'm hungry: Estou com fome
Which Portuguese phrases should you learn first?
Learn por favor, obrigado / obrigada, desculpa, com licença and Não entendi first: with those five you can be polite and ask for help anywhere in Brazil.
| Portuguese | Meaning | In CiaoSpeak |
|---|---|---|
| por favor | please | Unit 2 |
| obrigado | thank you, said by a man | Unit 1 |
| obrigada | thank you, said by a woman | Unit 1 |
| desculpa | sorry | Unit 2 |
| com licença | excuse me | Unit 2 |
| Não entendi. | I didn't understand. I didn't catch that. | Unit 2 |
Should you use você or o senhor with these phrases?
Use você with almost everyone in Brazil, and o senhor / a senhora with older people when you want to be extra polite. Tu is regional, so you don't need it to start.
How can you practice saying it out loud?
Say it to someone who answers. In CiaoSpeak's Brazilian Portuguese course, the lessons teach every phrase on this page with a recording in a Brazilian accent, and in the Speak tab a character in a real scene (a São Paulo baker, a Rio ride-app driver, your language-exchange partner Ana) talks to you and you answer out loud. The app tells you whether a Brazilian would understand you, with one gentle fix if not. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More phrases: how to say everyday things in Portuguese.