Brazilian Portuguese: 50 Essential Phrases for Tourists
English is not widely spoken in Brazil outside of luxury hotels and international business settings. Even basic Portuguese makes an enormous difference — Brazilians light up when foreigners make an effort, and you'll have a far richer experience. Here are 50 phrases that will carry you through almost any situation.
Greetings and Basics
These are the phrases you'll use dozens of times every day.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Oi / Olá | oy / oh-LAH | Hi / Hello |
| Bom dia | bom JEE-ah | Good morning |
| Boa tarde | BOH-ah TAR-jee | Good afternoon |
| Boa noite | BOH-ah NOY-chee | Good evening/night |
| Tudo bem? | TOO-doo beng? | How are you? (literally "all good?") |
| Tudo bem! | TOO-doo beng! | I'm good! |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | oh-bree-GAH-doo / dah | Thank you (male/female speaker) |
| De nada | jee NAH-dah | You're welcome |
| Por favor | por fah-VOR | Please |
| Com licença | kong lee-SEN-sah | Excuse me (to get past someone) |
| Desculpa | des-COOL-pah | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Tchau | chow | Bye |
Key tip: Men say "obrigado" and women say "obrigada" — it agrees with the gender of the speaker, not the person being thanked.
Getting Help
When you need to communicate beyond basic greetings.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Você fala inglês? | voh-SEH FAH-lah in-GLAYS? | Do you speak English? |
| Eu não falo português | eh-oo now FAH-loo por-too-GAYS | I don't speak Portuguese |
| Eu não entendo | eh-oo now en-TEN-doo | I don't understand |
| Pode repetir? | POH-jee heh-peh-CHEER? | Can you repeat that? |
| Pode falar mais devagar? | POH-jee fah-LAR mice deh-vah-GAR? | Can you speak slower? |
| O que é isso? | oo kee eh EE-soo? | What is this? |
| Como se diz ___ em português? | KOH-moo see jeez ___ eng por-too-GAYS? | How do you say ___ in Portuguese? |
Navigation and Directions
Essential for getting around without Google Maps.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Onde fica ___? | ON-jee FEE-kah ___? | Where is ___? |
| Esquerda | es-KAIR-dah | Left |
| Direita | jee-RAY-tah | Right |
| Em frente / Reto | eng FREN-chee / HEH-too | Straight ahead |
| Perto | PAIR-too | Near |
| Longe | LON-jee | Far |
| Pode me ajudar? | POH-jee mee ah-joo-DAR? | Can you help me? |
| Estou perdido / perdida | es-TOH pair-JEE-doo / dah | I'm lost (male/female) |
Food and Restaurants
Ordering food is one of the first real tests of your Portuguese.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| A conta, por favor | ah KON-tah, por fah-VOR | The bill, please |
| Cardápio | kar-DAH-pee-oo | Menu |
| Água | AH-gwah | Water |
| Cerveja | ser-VAY-jah | Beer |
| Café | kah-FEH | Coffee |
| Eu quero ___ | eh-oo KEH-roo ___ | I want ___ |
| Sem ___ | seng ___ | Without ___ |
| Quanto custa? | KWAN-too KOOS-tah? | How much does it cost? |
| Está delicioso! | es-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo! | It's delicious! |
| Eu sou vegetariano / vegetariana | eh-oo soh veh-jeh-tah-ree-AH-noo / nah | I'm vegetarian (male/female) |
Useful restaurant knowledge: "Por quilo" restaurants let you serve yourself from a buffet and pay by weight — point at what you want or serve yourself. "Rodízio" means all-you-can-eat (common for pizza, sushi, and churrasco).
Shopping and Money
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Quanto custa? | KWAN-too KOOS-tah? | How much? |
| Caro | KAH-roo | Expensive |
| Barato | bah-RAH-too | Cheap |
| Aceita cartão? | ah-SAY-tah kar-TOWN? | Do you accept cards? |
| Tem PIX? | teng peeks? | Do you have PIX? |
| Troco | TROH-koo | Change (money) |
Emergencies
Phrases you hope you'll never need, but should know.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Socorro! | soh-KOH-hoo! | Help! |
| Preciso de um médico | preh-SEE-zoo jee oong MEH-jee-koo | I need a doctor |
| Preciso de ajuda | preh-SEE-zoo jee ah-JOO-dah | I need help |
| Polícia | poh-LEE-see-ah | Police |
| Hospital | os-pee-TAL | Hospital |
| Estou doente | es-TOH doo-EN-chee | I'm sick |
Social and Fun
These phrases will earn you smiles and make connections with locals.
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Legal! | leh-GOW! | Cool! / Awesome! |
| Que lindo! | kee LEEN-doo! | How beautiful! |
| Saúde! | sah-OO-jee! | Cheers! (when toasting) |
| Eu adoro o Brasil | eh-oo ah-DOH-roo oo brah-ZEEL | I love Brazil |
| De onde você é? | jee ON-jee voh-SEH eh? | Where are you from? |
| Eu sou de ___ | eh-oo soh jee ___ | I'm from ___ |
Pronunciation Guide
Brazilian Portuguese sounds very different from European Portuguese. Key rules:
- "R" at the start of words or "RR" sounds like an "H" in English — "Rio" is "HEE-oo", "carro" (car) is "KAH-hoo"
- "D" before "i" or "e" sounds like "J" — "dia" (day) is "JEE-ah"
- "T" before "i" or "e" sounds like "CH" — "gente" (people) is "JEN-chee"
- "ão" is a nasal sound — practice it by saying "own" through your nose. "Não" (no) is "now" with a nasal ending
- "LH" sounds like "LY" — "trabalho" (work) is "trah-BAH-lyoo"
Tips for Learning
- Use Duolingo's Brazilian Portuguese course — it's surprisingly good for basics
- Watch Brazilian shows on Netflix with Portuguese subtitles — "3%" and "Sintonia" are popular choices
- Listen to Brazilian music — bossa nova (slow and clear), sertanejo (country), and MPB (Brazilian popular music) are great for ear training
- Don't be afraid to make mistakes — Brazilians are incredibly patient and encouraging with foreigners who try to speak Portuguese
- Brazilians love slang — once you master the basics, learning local expressions (gírias) will make interactions much more fun and natural