Survival Brazilian Portuguese Phrases To Learn
I get it.I know a lot of guys don’t want to put in the time and effort to learn Portuguese before they visit Brazil. There are a lot of excuses, but the main reason is that they really just don’t want to study.
It’s not the smartest way to go about it, but it’s common.
Despite not wanting to put in the time to make your trip EPIC in Brazil, you should at least learn a few words and phrases so you don’t look like a complete idiot.
You want to be able to order food and say hi to people. I’ve compiled 33 survival Brazilian Portuguese phrases to learn.
These are words and phrases that will not only get you by in Brazil, but they are easy to learn. It shouldn’t take you more than a few days to learn them all.
So, if you have a trip coming up soon and you didn’t learn any Portuguese, take these 33 words and phrases, write them on flashcards and memorize, memorize, memorize.
If you want to learn more than just survival Portuguese, check out my review of the hottest online Brazilian Portuguese course: Semantica Portuguese – The #1 Online Brazilian Portuguese Course
1. Oi, tudo bem?
This means “Hi, everything’s well?” Very common and easy to learn. You can’t go wrong with this greeting.
2. Bom dia
“Good morning”.
3. Boa tarde
This simply means “Good afternoon”.
4. Boa noite
This simply means “Good evening or good night”. You can use it both ways. If you are going into a restaurant at night, you say boa noite to the waiters and waitresses. When you are telling someone have a good night, you can say it too.
5. Obrigado
You will use this a lot. It means “Thank you”.
6. Eu quero…
This is an important verbal phrase to know. You will want many different things while you are in Brazil. To say “I want” you say “Eu quero”. You won’t probably know any real vocabulary, so if you see something you want just point to it and say EU QUERO! Nevertheless, check out a few examples below:
I want a drink = Eu quero uma bebida
I want to go out = Eu quero sair
I want that soccer jersey = Eu quero aquela camisa de futebol
7. Onde fica…?
Ficar is an interesting verb. It means various things. In this example, it means “Where is…?” as in,
Where is the hotel? = Onde fica o hotel?
Where is my wallet?! = Onde fica minha carteira?!
8. Não sei
“I don’t know”
This is a Brazilian Portuguese phrase to learn until you become fluent. I use it a lot to this day even if I understand what someone is saying, but don’t feel like talking to them.
In Brazil, you will have many people approaching you. They might be asking you questions or even trying to sell you something. Just say “Não sei”. If they continue, keep saying it until they give up.
9. Com licença
“Excuse me”
Being nice and polite will get you far in certain places. It’s also a nice conversation starter.
10. Qual é o seu nome?
“What is your name?”
When strangers meet, they usually ask each other what is your name. Useful phrase to know and understand in Portuguese.
11. De onde você é?
“Where are you from?”
You’ll definitely be asked this, so you should know it. To respond, you could just say your country. But in a sentence, you can say “Eu sou dos Estados Unidos(USA)” or “Eu sou da Inglaterra(England)”.
12. Quantos anos você tem?
“How old are you?”
Portuguese can be a funny language. To ask someone how old they are, you use the verb “ter”, which means “to have”. You are being asked, “How many years do you have?”
13. Você está gostando?
“Are you enjoying?”
You might hear this when someone wants to know how you are liking your time in Brazil. This stumped me the first time I heard it.
14. Há quanto tempo você está no Brasil?
“How long have you been in Brazil?”
You may be asked this by people so they know if you can hang out next week or not.
15. Você está com fome?
“Are you hungry?”
A man’s gotta eat. And if you find yourself at a churrasco, you are bound to be asked this by the hosts.
16. Você tem filhos?
“Do you have children?”
I don’t think I’ve ever been asked this but I use it a lot when I am talking to a Brazilian woman.
17. O que você faz?
“What do you do?”
If you are getting to know a Brazilian woman, she might ask you this. It’s about your occupation. Sorry fellas, but even in Brazil, women want to know your profession when you meet them.
18. Você está em férias?
“Are you on vacation?”
People want to know why you are in Brazil. This is a common question.
19. Eu gosto de você
“I like you”
This can come in handy if you see a woman you want to get to know better. If a woman comes up to you and says this, unless you are down to P4P, I’d pay her flirty ways no mind.
20. Você é chata!
“You are lame/wack/boring!”
This can be used to tease someone. I like to use this when I’m flirting with a woman.
21. Desculpe-me
“I’m sorry”
Another polite phrase to know if you bump into someone on the beach.
22. Como se diz _____ em português?
“How do you say ______ in Portuguese?”
This is a great Brazilian Portuguese phrase to learn if you have a guide who is showing you around and you want to learn Portuguese along your trip. Being in Brazil is the best way to learn Portuguese, so why not ask how to say things while you are there.
23. Mais um!
“One more!”
I love beer. When you finish a brew, you have to ask for another one right?
24. Fala sério!
“Stop playing!”
This is somewhat like slang. It literally means “Talk serious”. But the meaning is more like “Be serious”.
25. Quanto custa?
“How much is it?”
26. Com certeza!
“Of course!”
This is a pretty common phrase in my experience. Good to know how to say and understand.
27. Tranquilo?
“Cool”
You can use this to greet someone or respond to a person who wants to know how you are.
28. Beleza?
“Beautiful?”
Cool way to greet younger people. I’d say, if the person looks to be 25 or under, say beleza and see their reaction.
29. Fala inglês?
“Do you speak English?”
You’ll come across a few Brazilians who can help you in English.
30. Muito prazer
“Nice to meet you”
You’ll impress a few people when you say this after they tell you their name.
31. Não entendo
“I don’t understand”
You’ll be telling a lot of people this. And it’s okay. They will understand you didn’t want to study Portuguese before
32. Por favor
This means “please” just like in Spanish. Being polite in a foreign country is necessary.
33. Estou perdido
“I’m lost”
You will get lost a few times in Brazil if you don’t have a guide. This is a great phrase to have in the brain if you need help.