Oi! / Olá!
Hi! / Hello!
A simple way to begin. Follow it with a smile and your question.
A pocket guide to Brazilian Portuguese
Your Brazil
phrasebook.
Twenty-four useful phrases for your first days in Brazil. Start a conversation, order a coffee and ask someone to slow down.
24 phrases · 4 everyday situationsEnglish meanings + practical notesFree to read & print
01 / Keep these close
A few words go a long way.
Choose a situation and learn two or three phrases first. The notes tell you when to use them. These are written examples for Brazil; listen to a Brazilian Portuguese speaker as well to practise the sounds and rhythm.
Bom dia!
Good morning!
Use it when greeting someone in the morning, including in a shop or café.
Boa tarde!
Good afternoon!
An afternoon greeting you can use before asking for directions.
Por favor.
Please.
Add it to a request: “Um café, por favor.”
Obrigado. / Obrigada.
Thank you.
Conventionally, a male speaker says obrigado and a female speaker says obrigada. The ending refers to the speaker.
Com licença.
Excuse me.
Useful when passing someone or politely getting their attention.
O cardápio, por favor.
The menu, please.
A short request for the food or drinks menu.
Um café, por favor.
A coffee, please.
The server may ask which kind or size. Pointing to the menu can help.
Uma água sem gás, por favor.
A still water, please.
Sem gás means still; com gás means sparkling.
O que você recomenda?
What do you recommend?
A way to invite a suggestion. Be ready to ask the speaker to repeat it.
A conta, por favor.
The bill, please.
Use it when you have finished and would like to pay.
Vocês aceitam cartão?
Do you accept cards?
Ask before ordering if you need to pay by card.
Onde fica o banheiro?
Where is the bathroom?
Begin with com licença when approaching someone.
Onde fica o ponto de ônibus?
Where is the bus stop?
Save the written name of your destination so you can show it if needed.
É perto daqui?
Is it near here?
Use this after naming the place you want to reach.
Quanto custa?
How much does it cost?
If you miss the number, ask the person to write it down.
Tenho uma reserva.
I have a reservation.
Useful at accommodation or a restaurant. Have the booking name ready.
Pode me mostrar no mapa?
Can you show me on the map?
Helpful when a spoken set of directions is difficult to follow.
Estou aprendendo português.
I’m learning Portuguese.
Let the person know you are practising and may need a little time.
Não entendi.
I didn’t understand.
Use it when you missed what someone just said.
Pode repetir mais devagar?
Can you repeat that more slowly?
Learn this early. You can ask for help with the conversation itself.
Você fala inglês?
Do you speak English?
An option when you need to explain something beyond your current Portuguese.
Pode escrever, por favor?
Can you write it down, please?
Useful for a price, an address or a word you do not recognise.
Você pode me ajudar?
Can you help me?
Follow it with your question, a written address or the item you need help with.
No matching phrases. Try a shorter word or choose “All situations”.
02 / Put the words together
Your first café conversation.
Practise both parts, then cover the Portuguese and try the customer’s lines from memory. This is one possible exchange; real replies will vary.
Before your trip, practise the answers as well as the questions. Asking for a menu is one small task; understanding a follow-up question is another.
A coffee to go
- Cliente: Bom dia! Um café, por favor.
- Customer: Good morning! A coffee, please.
- Atendente: Para tomar aqui ou para levar?
- Server: To drink here or to take away?
- Cliente: Para levar, por favor.
- Customer: To take away, please.
- Atendente: Mais alguma coisa?
- Server: Anything else?
- Cliente: Só isso. Obrigado!
- Customer: That’s all. Thank you! Use obrigada if that is the form you use.
Practise the reply as well as the question.
These six short exchanges are models, not a prediction of what everyone will say. Read both parts, then ask a partner to choose a reply without telling you which one. Keep a clarification phrase ready.
03 / Before you go
Make five phrases yours.
You do not need to memorise the whole page. Start with the situations you expect on your first day and keep a printed copy nearby.
- Pick five phrases. Choose one greeting, one request, one question and two ways to ask for clarification.
- Say them out loud. Use a recording by a Brazilian Portuguese speaker to check pronunciation, then repeat at a comfortable pace.
- Change one detail. Swap a coffee for a water, or a bathroom for a bus stop. Keep the rest of the phrase familiar.
- Rehearse a reply. Ask a partner to answer unexpectedly, then practise asking them to repeat.
Words worth recognising in a reply
- Sim / Não
- Yes / No
- Aqui / Ali
- Here / There
- À direita / À esquerda
- To the right / To the left
- Perto / Longe
- Near / Far
Written phrases cannot show every sound. Avoid relying only on English-style pronunciation spellings; hearing and repeating the Portuguese is part of the practice.
Before you pack.
Is this phrasebook for Brazil or Portugal?
It is written for travel in Brazil. Some phrases are also used in Portugal, but vocabulary, pronunciation and everyday usage can differ. Choose listening practice that matches your destination.
Can I use the guide without an internet connection?
Yes. Save this complete HTML file to your device or print it before travelling. The phrasebook and search do not need an internet connection; the link to lessons opens an external website.
Will knowing these phrases make me conversational?
This is a starting set for short interactions, not a fluency course. Practising listening, likely replies and ways to ask for clarification helps you use the phrases more flexibly.