Brazilian Portuguese phrasebook

In Brazil, spoken language can be very different from written language and official grammar, confusing non-native speakers. While gíria (slang) is common and difficult to understand, it is generally not used around foreigners. Less educated people are likely to use slang a lot. The written language is also much closer to Spanish than what is spoken. But make no mistake, Brazilian Portuguese is phonetically much closer to modern Galician than to European Portuguese, let alone Spanish. If you're a Spanish speaker and try speaking "portuñol", people will most likely look at you in confusion and wonder what you're saying, if not going into "what a stupid gringo" mode.

To avoid duplication, see wikibooks. Also, Portuguese words ending in _ão are often, but not always, feminine. Their plurals, most of the time, simply replace _ão with _ões. (Example: a televisão, as televisões) To be sure, look it up in a dictionary. Even words that are the same in both English and Portuguese can be different in plural form, depending on the last letter. Example: 1 hotel (oh TEL), 2 hotéis (oh TAYS).

In Portuguese, the names of most countries of the world take the definite article, inflected according to the name's gender and number, e.g. 'o Brasil', 'o Peru', 'a Argentina', 'o Chile', 'os Estados Unidos da América', 'a China', 'o Japão', 'o Timor-Leste', 'as Filipinas'. The same is true for a few cities: Oporto in Portugal, 'o Rio de Janeiro', 'o Recife', 'o Prado' in Bahia, 'o Gama', 'o Guará' and 'a Ceilândia' near Brasília in Brazil. By contrast, calling The Hague 'a Haia' in a Brazilian Portuguese-speaking environment is somewhat pedantic, however correct, 'Haia' will do. Surprisingly, Portugal itself has no gender or article, along with most African Portuguese-speaking countries; the exception is 'a Guiné-Bissau'. For Lusophones, the funniest Portuguese-born toponym ever has always been a República dos Camarões, literally "The Shrimps' Republic".

These can be a little confusing, especially for those transitioning from other Romance languages to Brazilian Portuguese. Originally in Portugal, the archaic Vossa Mercê, "Your Mercy", which in Brazil got shorter, vosmecê, and finally became você (vou-SAY), with its plural Vossas Mercês / vosmecês / vocês (vou-SAYS), were the formal "You"; tu and the plural vós were the informal, with all four having conjugations of their own. In the Brazilian contemporary context, vós is only used to address God in prayer, and tu is properly conjugated only in certain areas of the North and Northeast. Elsewhere, tu is usually followed by the same verb endings as você. Thus, most Brazilians do not use the verb endings for the 2nd person, making it much easier to learn just the 1st and 3rd person. However, they do use informally the 2nd person pronouns te ([to] you), ti ([for] you), teu/tua[s] (yours), contigo (with you), very similarly to Spanish and French (some highbrow university professors will even thus use vosso/vossa[s] and convosco in class). Since this eliminates much of the grammar-based formality, to be formal, replace you with o senhor (oh sen-YOUR) for a man, a senhora (ah sen-YOUR-ah) for a woman, and a senhorita (ah sen-your-REE-tah) for a young unmarried lady. This can also be done just before their name (equivalent to Mr., Mrs., and Miss respectively), or it can be spoken by itself initially (with or without a name) in order to get someone's attention.

Informal speech in Brazil may avoid the plural altogether by using a gente (the people) for we and todo mundo (everybody) for they. Both forms use 3rd person singular. There's a subtle difference between todo mundo (everybody) and todo o mundo (all the world). Outside Brazil, toda a gente substitutes todo mundo. Unfortunately, this isn't much of a shortcut, as the we form is by far the easiest, and the they form is still needed for objects.

It is also becoming common to see people dropping the final S in the nouns as it happens in French. So words like "as casas" are spoken as "as casa". However, in written form, that is not accepted.

It is very common (though technically incorrect) to use ele/a as the object pronoun for "it." Eu encontrei ele. I found it. If the "it" is intangible, best to change to the Portuguese genderless word for "this." Amo muito tudo isso. I'm loving it.

eu (think of the A in "say", Aw)

I

tu (too)

you (informal, with incorrectly conjugated verbs. Semi-formal in some northern and northeastern regional accents, but seldom used elsewhere)

ele (A-lee)

he, it (m)

ela (homophonic to Ella Fitzgerald)

she, it (f)

nós (noise)

we

vós (voise)

you — plural (nowadays, only found on ancient and biblical texts)

eles (A-lease)

they, them (mixed gender ok)

elas (EH-lass)

they, them (all females/feminine)

Possessives are used like the definite articles (o,a, os, as) and are genderized by what is being possessed—not who possesses them (as in English his/her). Also, the definite article precedes the possessive in most dialects. (The main exception is Northeast Brazil, including Salvador, Bahia.)

Beware, seu(s) and sua(s) can either mean your (second person), or his/her/their (third person). The default is the second person. Only if there is no possibility that it could belong to "you" is the use in the third person allowed. (Exception: if the tu or vós forms are being used, then seu/sua become the 3rd person and teu/tua or vosso/vossa are used instead .) Sua boca = your mouth. Seu carro = your car. But if you don't have a car, then it means "his or her car." If you do have a car, and they want to talk about someone else's car, then they have to say o carro dele (the car of his), or o carro dela (the car of hers). Notice that dele/dela (unlike regular possessives) are based on who possesses them (like English). This can be very confusing and requires practice.

• a sua namorada     his girlfriend   Assuming she's not your girlfriend (spoken by another person), as this would have priority unless tu (i.e. teu/tua) is being used.

Note the feminine possessive pronoun sua becomes the masculine his in English

• a namorada dele     literally: the girlfriend of his

In this case, le is masculine. Normally translated as just "his girlfriend."

This topic is much too complex for a phrasebook. In general though, infinitive verbs (i.e. as found in the dictionary) end in _ar, _er, and _ir (like Spanish) plus there's one irregular infinitive pôr (to put). A lot of the most common verbs are irregular, and must be memorized (except in the we form, most of the time). Você, ele, ela, (and usually tu in Brazil -- see above) share the same verb set, as do (separately) vocês, eles, and elas. By not using the second person, you also avoid having to change verbal commands when switching from affirmative to negative: (you) go vá, (you) don't go não vá, but with tu it's vai (affirmative) and não vás (negative) which is more complicated.

Accentuation

Statistically speaking, most Brazilian Portuguese words are paroxytones (stressed on the second-to-last syllable). If in doubt, remember this. Proparoxytones (third-to-last syllable), such as último (OOL-chee-moo, last) and próximo (PRAW-see-moo, next), are very rare and will always bear an accent. Oxytones (last syllable) such as the male names José (zhoo-ZED, mouth open), João (zhoo-AWNG), Tomé (tom-MET, mouth open), Luís (lew-EES), André (unDREAD, with a short Spanish "El Rey" R, and the mouth open), Valdir (vow-JEER), Cauã (kow-AHM, mouth open), Simão (see-MOWNG) and Iberê (ee-bay-RAY, with a short Spanish "El Rey" R, and the mouth open) are often clearly marked as well. If you encounter tricky words such as the lawyer's term acórdão (ah-CORE-down), remember that the stress is marked by the acute accent, not the tilde.

Similar to Spanish: Words ending in -a, -e, -o, -m, or -s are stressed on the next to the last syllable. Words ending in any consonant except -m or -s are stressed on the last syllable. (Portuguese words end in m instead of n.)

Dissimilar to Spanish: Words ending in -i and -u are stressed on the last syllable. This includes the nasal vovels -im and -um. (The final -m is not pronounced as a consonant here.)

Exceptions to the above will have an accent mark. This is why the word táxi is accented in Portuguese, but not in Spanish.

While in many languages, the accent mark indicates the stress, and the vowel used indicates the sound, Portuguese sometimes reverses this concept (though not in the same word). The accent mark shortens the vowel sound, and which of two vowels a word ends with determines the stress, but both have the same sound. However, accent marks have priority in determining which syllable is stressed.

Words ending in -e and -i have the same sound (ee), but -e is stressed on the next to the last syllable, and -i is stressed on the last syllable. The diphthong ei is used for the long "a" (as in weigh) sound at the end of a stressed syllable.

Words ending in -o and -u have the same sound (oo), but -o is stressed on the next to the last syllable, and -u is stressed on the last syllable. The diphthong ou is used for the long "o" (as in four) sound at the end of a stressed syllable.

Vowels

a

like father

ã

like the u in the English word hum (nasal)

e

like set, say, or eight. At the end of words it is pronounced as a short ee.

See also the diphthong ei

closed e

like herd. Often spelled with an accent mark: ê

é

like let

i

like machine

o

Usually rounded (like in cold) except at the end of a word, when it is pronounced as a short oo, as in the English word to. See also the diphthong ou.

open o

like in hot. Also spelled ó

ô

like in low.

õ

say mown or song with mouth open, end nasally

u

like soup or book

Regional accents have somewhat been homogenized by mass media, but still vary widely. The Luso speech's sonic trait of "windsurfing between the vowels", rarely unmentioned by comparative phonology scholars, is very present in the "carioca", "maranhense" and "paraense" regional accents. The Paulista and southern accents are very influenced by Italian and Spanish immigration, and will accordingly roll their R's; elsewhere, a more English "H" sound (or the French R) is used instead. The M is also nasalised at the end of words (sim, mim) and the English "M" sound should be dropped even if the next word begins with a vowel. In this phrasebook, it's represented by an N (the closest possible sound). Also, be careful with words containing "Te" and "Ti" (see below).

b

like 'b' in "bed"

c

like 'c' in "cat"

ce     ci

like in cell and civil.

ç

like 's' in soft or super. The mark below the letter "c" is called a cedilla in English or cedilha in Portuguese. It is used to force the soft C before vowels other than E or I.

d

like 'd' in "dog". Like 'j' in "jump" when before an "i" or "e"

f

like 'f' in "father"

g

like 'g' in "good". Same as the d above, the letter is never softened between vowels as in Spanish. Example: foguete (foo-GHETT-chee, rocket)

ge     gi

like 's' in pleasure

h

Silent. See Common digraphs below and r and rr for the English "h" sound. Note: many Spanish words starting with this silent "H" begin with "F" in Portuguese (and in other Romance languages) such as "hacer" v.s "fazer" (to do).

j

like 's' in pleasure

k

Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. See letters c and q for the English "k" sound.

l

like 'l' in "love". The final L is vocalised (like in "cold"). Brazilians will make it a "u" sound (like in "mal" sounding like the English "ow", as in "now".) Unlike English, words ending in L are normally stressed on the final syllable. Example: capital (cah-pee-TAU)

m...

like 'm' in "mother".

...m

Nasalizes the preceding vowel, and is dropped at the end of a word.

n

like nice. Nasalizes the preceding vowel and is silent when followed by a consonant. (See Common digraphs below.)

p

like 'p' in "pig"

q

like "unique". Qu is usually followed by e  or i  as a way to get the k sound. Words with qua will sound just as 'qua' in the English word "quack".

r...

like 'h' in "help", only harder. See also RR in Common Digraphs below. It's often pronounced like a Spanish J.

...r

like 'r' in "Harry".

...r...

like the Spanish 'r'.

• Examples:

        fresta (FRES-tah)   a loophole
        hora (OH-rah)   hour, time

s

like "hiss" at the beginning of words, "haze" between vowels, "sure" in final position/before consonants in Rio de Janeiro, or as s elsewhere (like the regular plural ending sound in English).

t

like 't' in "top"

...te   (if unstressed, i.e. no accent mark)  
te + a...  (the 'a' is pronounced in the next syllable)
ti   (in any syllable)
        like 'chee' in cheese
Note this is completely different from Spanish

• Examples:

        teatro (chee-AHT-roh)   theatre
        tipo (CHEE-po)   type
        rotina (ho-CHEE-nah)   routine
        assisti (ah-sist-CHEE)   I watched/helped/attended
        teste (TES-chee)   test
        até (ah-TEH)   until

v

like 'v' in "victory"

w

Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. Mostly pronounced as 'v' (Volkswagen) or 'u' (Wilson).

x

like "box", "shoe", "zip" or even "yes". The correct pronunciation of the X is not easy to deduce. It is usually pronounced like sh before a vowel, and "ks" if preceding another consonant (but not always).

y

Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. The digraph lh sounds like a "ly". (see Common digraphs below)

z

like 'z' in "zebra," or like a soft s when final ("paz", "luz")

Two vowels together not listed as diphthongs usually means a hiato, or syllable split. Example: ia in Bahia (bah-EE-ah). Any accent mark (not counting the tilde such as ão and õe) will split a diphthong into two regular vowels (see above).

am

same as ã and â, but unstressed     andam (AHN-downg)   they walk (nasal)

ai

like bike (often equivalent to Spanish 'AY')     praia   beach

aí   (with an accent)

Not a diphthong; just a, (new syllable), stressed i     saída (sah-EE-dah) exit

ão

similar to uwng (u as in cup)     dão   they give (nasal)

ao

used only in contractions, and the same sound as au below

au

like house     Manaus   THE city in the Amazon River

ei

like say (best equivalent to Spanish 'E')     meio (MAY-oo)   half.

eu

the e vowel (similar to the A in "say") plus a w semivowel, very unheard in English     Europa   Europe

em

like reign     viagem   travel or journey; Belém (bay-LEIGN) do Pará (nasal).

ói

like boy     constrói   he constructs

oi

like the British Oi!     oito   eight

om

same as õ, but closing the mouth with a brief M afterwards;     som   sound (nasal)

ou

as in own   false diphthong   (pronounced the same as the Portuguese vowel 'Ô')     sou (sô)   I am   Do not pronounce as "OY  " as in Spanish. Doing so is portuñol and will mark you as a gringo.

õe

nasal oi     ele põe   he puts; Luís Vaz de Camões (nasal)

um

like room     algum some (nasal)

ch

like machine (sh sound) Completely different from Spanish. In Brazil, letter t when followed by i or final e produces the Spanish & English "ch" sound (see above).

• Example:

        chuva (SHOO-vah)   rain

lh

like million (equivalent to Spanish LL) Note: Spanish words starting with "LL" very often convert to "CH" (with the sh sound) in Portuguese (see above)

• Example:

        velho (VEL-yo)   old

...nh...

like canyon (equivalent to Spanish Ñ and NI, but note that Ñ most often becomes just N in Portuguese)

• Examples:

        banho (BAN-yo)   bath;   piranha (pee-RAHN-yah) man-eating fish, also pejorative term for "prostitute"

...nr...

the r is pronounced like help

• Example:

        honra (ON-ha)   honor

...rr...

In Brazil, like help (same as R at the beginning of a word).

• Example:

        cachorro (cah-SHOW-ho)   dog

...ss...

prevents the S becoming Z between vowels.

• Examples:

        assado (ah-SAH-doo, roasted); casado (cah-ZAH-doo, married) / cassado (cah-SAH-doo, debarred from office)

(Do) you have a battery for this?

Você tem uma pilha para isto? (voh-SAY teng U-mah PEEL-yah PAH-rah EES-toh?)

Good Morning (lit. Good Day)

Bom dia. (bon JEE-ah)

Good Afternoon

Boa tarde. (BOW-ah TAR-jee)

Good Evening / Good Night

Boa noite. (BOW-ah NOY-chee)

Hello. (informal, very similar to the Cockney greeting)

Oi (Oi!)

Thank you. (said by a man)

Obrigado. (ob-ree-GAH-doo) lit. "I'm obliged"

Thank you. (said by a woman)

Obrigada. (ob-ree-GAH-dah) lit. "I'm obliged"

How are you?

Como está? (KOH-moh es-TAH?) or Como vai você? (KOH-moh vahy voh-SAY?)

Are you all right?

Tudo bem? (TOO-do BENG?) or Tudo bom? (bon)

Fine, thank you.

Bem, obrigado/a (BENG, ob-ree-GAH-doo/dah). Also, you can informally say "All well/good", Tudo bem/bom.

Everything is OK. (Lit. "All is well")

Tudo bem (TOO-do BENG. TOO-do oKAY works just as fine).

What is your name? (Lit. "How are you called?")

Como se chama? (KOH-moh se SHA-ma?)

What is your name? (Literal)

Qual é o seu nome? (kwahl eh oh SAY-oo NOH-mee?)

My name is ______ .

Meu nome é ______ . (mehoo NOM-ee ey _____ .)

Nice to meet you.

Muito prazer (em conhecê-lo). (MOOY-to prah-ZEHR eng koh-nye-SEH-lo) The final part is dropped in informal speech.

Please (Lit. "As a favor")

Por favor. (pohr fah-VOHR)

You're welcome (Lit. "For nothing")

De nada. (je NAH-dah)

Yes.

Sim. (SIN(G))

No.

Não. (NAWN(G))

• Remember the Portuguese "no" doesn't mean a negation as in English and Spanish—but rather "in the" as a contraction of em + o (Spanish en el). Such contractions are common in Portuguese. Não falo inglês no Brasil. I don't speak English in Brazil.

No (not any) + noun

Nenhum(a) (neh-NYOONG(-ah))

Excuse me. (getting attention)

Com licença (kong lee-SEN-sa)

Excuse me. (begging pardon)

Desculpe-me. (dees-KUL-pee-mee; Brazilians often shorten it to "Desculpa", dees-KUL-pah)

I'm sorry.

Desculpe. (dees-KUL-pay)

I'm sorry. (Lit. "pardon")

Perdão. (pehr-DAWNG)

Goodbye (permanent, lit. "to God")

Adeus. (uh-DEOOS)

Bye (informal, identical to Italian ciao)

Tchau. (CHOW)

See you soon

Até logo (ah-TEH LOH-goh), até breve (ah-TEH BRAH-vee)

I can't speak Portuguese [well].

Não falo [bem] português. (NOWNG FAH-loo [bay(n)] poor-too-GEHS)

I only speak English.

Só falo inglês.

Do you speak English?

Fala inglês? (fah-la in-GLES?)

Is there someone here who speaks English?

Há aqui alguém que fale inglês? (AH ah-KEE al-GENG keh FAH-lee ing-GLES?)

Help!

Socorro! (soo-KOH-hoo!)

Good afternoon (also early evening)

Boa tarde. (BO-ah TAR-jee)

Good evening (also nighttime)

Boa noite. (BO-ah NOI-chee)

I don't understand.

Não compreendo/entendo. (NOWNG kom-pree-EN-doo/een-TEN-doo)

Where is the toilet?

Onde é o banheiro? (OND-de / OND-jee eh o bahn-YAIR-row?)

Leave me alone.

Deixe-me em paz. (DEY-sheh meh eng PIZE) rhymes with "size"

Don't touch me!

Não me toque! (NOWNG meh TOH-keh!)

I'll call the police.

Vô chamar a polícia. (VOU-oo shah-MAH a poh-LEE-see-ah)

Police!

Polícia! (poh-LEE-see-ah!)   The second syllable is stressed, unlike Spanish. "Policía" is portuñol.

Stop! Thief!

Pára! Ladrão! (PAH-rah! lah-DROWNG!)

I need your help.

Preciso da sua ajuda. (preh-SEE-zoo dah SOO-ah ah-ZHOO-dah)

It's an emergency.

É uma emergência. (EH oo-mah eh-mer-ZHENG-see-ah)

I'm lost.

Estou perdido(a). (esTOW per-JEE-doo/dah)

I lost my bag.

Perdi a minha mala [bolsa]. (per-JEE a meen-yah MAH-lah)

I lost my wallet.

Perdi a minha carteira.(per-JEE ah MEE-nyah cahr-TAY-rah)

I'm sick.

Estou doente. (es-TOW doo-AYN-chee )

I've been injured.

Estou ferido/da. (es-TOW feh-REE-doo/dah)

I need a doctor.

Preciso de um médico. (preh-SEE-zoo deh oong MEH-jee-koo)

Note the first two syllables of the pronunciation of "médico" will sound to English speakers more like "magic" than "medic."

Can I use your phone?

Posso usar o seu telefone? (POH-soo oo-ZAR oo seoo teh-leh-FOW-nee?)

Note: Spanish speakers need to practice pronunciation of Portuguese numbers to be understood, even though they are quite similar in written form. Give particular attention to dropped middle syllables in numbers 7, 9, and 10, and those ending in te (pronounced as chee). Also, don't confuse cento for "cents" or "centavos," as it refers to "hundreds."

1

um(m)/uma(f) (oong / OO-mah)

2

dois(m)/duas(f) (dois / DOO-as)

3

três (tres)

4

quatro (KWAH-troh)

5

cinco (SING-koo)

6

seis/meia (seys/mey-ah) Use meia in a numerical series (e.g. phone numbers, postal codes, etc.) to prevent confusion with "três". "Meia" is short for "meia-dúzia" (half-a-dozen).

7

sete (SEH-tchee )

8

oito (OY-too)

9

nove ( NOH-vee)

10

dez (deys)

11

onze ( ONG-zee )

12

doze (DOH-zee )

13

treze (TRE-zee )

14

catorze (kah-TOH-zee)

15

quinze (KEENG-zee)

16

dezesseis (deh-zee-SEYS)

17

dezessete (deh-zee-SEH-tchee)

18

dezoito (deh-ZOY-too)

19

dezenove (dee-zee-NOH-vee)

20

vinte (VEEN-chee)

21

vinte e um/uma (VEEN-chee ee oong/OO-mah)

22

vinte e dois/duas (VEEN-chee ee doyss/DOO-as)

23

vinte e três (VEEN-chee ee trezh)

30

trinta (TREEN-tah)

40

quarenta (kwah-REN-tah)

50

cinqüenta (sing-KWEN-tah)

60

sessenta (seh-SEN-tah)

70

setenta (seh-TEN-tah)

80

oitenta (oy-TEN-tah)

90

noventa (no-VEN-tah)

100

cem (seng)

101

cento e um/a (SENG-too ee oong/OO-mah)

102

cento e dois/duas (SEHN-too ee doyss/DOO-ahs)

103

cento e três (SEHN-too ee trehs)

110

cento e dez (SEHN-too ee dehs)

125

cento e vinte e cinco (SEHN-too ee VEEN-chee ee SEEN-koo)

200

duzentos/as (doo-ZEHN-toos/as)

300

trezentos/as (tre-ZEHN-toos/as)

400

quatrocentos/as (kwah-troo-SEHN-toos)

500

quinhentos/as (keen-YENG-toos)

600

seiscentos/as (sayss-SEHN-toos)

700

setecentos/as (seh-tchee-SEN-toos)

800

oitocentos/as (oy-too-SEHN-toos)

900

novecentos/as (no-vee-SEHN-toos )

1000

mil (meeu)

2000

dois mil (doyss meeu)

1,000,000

um milhão (oong meel-YOWNG)

For numbers 1,000,000,000 and above, Brazilian Portuguese uses the short scale, while European Portuguese uses the long scale

1,000,000,000

um bilhão

1,000,000,000,000

um trilhão

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

número _____ (NU-may-ro)

half

metade (me-TAHD-jee)

less

menos (MEH-noos)

more

mais (mighs)

now

agora (ah-GOH-rah)

later

depois (the Powy's)

before

antes de (ANches jee)

morning

manhã (mah-NYAHNG)

afternoon

tarde (TAHR-jee)

evening

Use night ("noite") for evening. Unlike English, "boa noite" means "good evening" and "good night".

night

noite (NOI-tchee)

Note: In a sentence add é just before one o'clock, noon and midnight, and são just before two through eleven o'clock. (English equivalent of "it is..."). Unlike Spanish, the definite article (Span. la; Port. a) is not used.

one o'clock AM

uma hora da manhã (uma OH-ra dah man-yah)

two o'clock AM

duas horas da manhã (dua-ZOH-ras dah man-yah)

noon

meio-dia (mayo JEE-ah)

one o'clock PM

uma hora da tarde (uma OH-ra dah TAHR-jee)

two o'clock PM

duas horas da tarde (dua-ZOH-ras dah TAHR-jee)

half past three PM

três e meia da tarde (tray-zee MEY-ah dah TARD-jee)

midnight

meia-noite (MAY-ah NOY-tchee)

_____ minute(s)

_____ minuto(s) (mee-NU-toh)

_____ hour(s)

_____ hora(s) (OH-ra)

_____ day(s)

_____ dia(s) (JEE-ah)

_____ week(s)

_____ semana(s) (seh-MAH-nah)

_____ month(s)

_____ mês(meses) (mayse)

_____ year(s)

_____ ano(s) (ahno)

today

hoje (OHZH-gee)

yesterday

ontem (OHN-taym)

tomorrow

amanhã (a-mahn-YAHNG)

this week

esta semana (es-tah seh-MAH-nah)

last week

a semana passada (ah s'MAH-nah pah-SAH-dah)

next week

próxima semana (PRAW-see-mah s'MAH-nah)

Sunday

domingo (doh-MING-goo)

Monday

segunda-feira (seh-GOON-dah fey-rah)

Tuesday

terça-feira (TEHR-sah fey-rah)

Wednesday

quarta-feira (KWAR-tah fey-rah)

Thursday

quinta-feira (KEEN-tah fey-rah)

Friday

sexta-feira (SES-tah fey-rah)

Saturday

sábado (SAH-bah-doo)

January

Janeiro (zhah-NEY-roo)

February

Fevereiro (fev-REY-roo)

March

Março (MAR-soo)

April

Abril (ah-BREEL)

May

Maio (MY-yo)

June

Junho (JUN-yoo)

July

Julho (JUHL-yoo)

August

Agosto (AGOS-too)

September

Setembro (S'tembroo)

October

Outubro (Ow-TOO-broo)

November

Novembro (No-VEM-broo)

December

Dezembro (D'ZEM-broo)

21 de setembro de 2005, "vinte e um de setembro de dois mil e cinco"

Time is written with "h" as in French: 8h30; or with a colon ( : ). The 24-hour clock is often used.

Most adjectives change the final o to a in the feminine and add s to form the plural. If the adjective ends in "a", there is no separate masculine form.

black

preto (PREH-too)

white

branco (BRAHNG-koo)

gray

cinzento (sing-ZEHN-too)

red

vermelho (ver-MEH-lyoo)

blue

azul (ah-ZOOL), pl. azuis (ah-ZUees)

yellow

amarelo (ah-mah-REH-lo)

green

verde (VEHR-jee)

orange

laranja (lah-RANG-jah)

purple

roxo (HOH-show)

violet

violeta (vee-oh-LAY-tah)

pink

cor de rosa (Cohr jee HOH-sah)

brown (Port.)

castanho (cah-STAHN-yoo)

brown (Brazil)

marrom (mah-HON)

dark brown (skin)

moreno (mor-RAY-no) / (pele) morena (PAY-lee mor-RAY-nah)

car

carro (KAH-roh),

taxi

táxi (TAHK-see)

bus

ônibus (ow-NEE-boos)

van

van

truck

caminhão (kah-MEE-nyown)

train

trem (trehn)

subway

metrô (meh-TROH)

ship

navio (NAH-vyoh)

boat

barco (BAHR-koh)

ferry

balsa (BAHL-sah)

helicopter

helicóptero (eh-lee-KOHP-teh-roo)

airplane

avião (ah-vee-AWNG)

airline

linha aérea (LEE-nyah ah-EH-reh-ah)

bicycle

bicicleta (bee-see-KLEH-tah); the term "bike" is very widespread

motorcycle

motocicleta (moh-toh-see-KLEH-tah) often shortened to "moto" or "motoca"

carriage

carruagem (kah-RWAH-zhehm) - In Brazil this word only refers to the old luxury horse-drawn wheeled vehicle

horse-drawn cart

carroça (kah-HOH-sah)

How much is a ticket to_____?

Quanto custa uma passagem para_____? (KWAHN-toh(too) KOOS-tah OO-mah pah-SAH-zheng [bee-LYEH-teh] PAH-rah_____?)

One ticket to_____, please.

Uma passagem para _____, por favor. (OO-mah pah-SAH-zheng PAH-rah_____, poor fah-VOHR)

Where does this train/bus go?

Para onde vai o trem/ônibus? (PAH-rah OHN-zhee vai oo trehm/OH-nee-boos?)

Where is the train/bus to_____?

Onde é o trem/ônibus para_____? (OHN-zhee EH oo trehm/OH-nee-boos PAH-rah_____?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____?

Este trem/ônibus pára em _____? (...)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave?

Quando sai o trem/ônibus para _____? (...)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____?

Quando chega este trem/ônibus a _____? (KWAHN-doo CHEH-gah EHS-chee trehm/OH-nee-boos ah_____?)

How do I get to _____ ?

Como vou _____ ? (KOH-moh vow) or Como chego _____ ? (KOH-moh SHAY-goh) Do NOT use the Portuguese word for "get"; use "go" or "arrive."

...the train station?

...à estação de trem? (AH ehs-tah-SOWN dje trehm?)

...the bus station?

...à rodoviária? (ah roh-doh-vee-A-reeah)

...the airport?

...ao aeroporto? (ow ah-eh-roo-POHR-too)

...downtown?

...ao centro? (ow SEN-troo)

...the youth hostel?

...à pousada de juventude? (Ah poo-ZAH-dah deh zhu-ven-TUD-jee)

...the _____ hotel?

...ao hotel _____? (ow oh-TEL)

...a nightclub/bar?

...a uma boate/bar/festa/farra? (...)

...an Internet café?

...a um lan house? (...)

...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?

...ao consulado americano/canadense/australiano/britânico? (...)

Where are there a lot of...

Onde há muitos/muitas... (OHND ah MOOY-tos/tas...)

...hotels?

...hotéis? (oh-TEYS)

...restaurants?

...restaurantes? (res-tau-RAN-chees)

...bars?

...bares? (BAR-ees)

...sites to see?

...lugares para visitar? (loo-GAH-hes pah-rah vee-zee-TAR)

...women?

...mulheres? (moo-LYEH-res)

Can you show me on the map?

Pode me mostrar no mapa? (PAW-djee mee mo-STRAR noo MAH-pah?)

street

rua (HOO-ah)

Turn left.

Vire à esquerda. (VEER ah es-KEHR-dah)

Turn right.

Vire à direita. (VEER ah jee-RAY-tah)

left

esquerdo (es-KEHR-doo)

right

direito (jee-RAY-too)

straight ahead

sempre em frente (Sempree eim FREN-chee)

towards the _____

na direção de _____ (nah jee-reh-SOWN dje)

past the _____

depois de _____ (dePOYS deh)

before the _____

antes de _____ (AN-chees deh)

Watch for the _____.

Procure o/a _____. (proh-KOO-reh oo/ah_____)

intersection

cruzamento (kroo-zah-MEN-too)

north

norte (NOHR-chee or nortch)

south

sul (sool)

east

leste (LES-chee)

west

oeste (oh-EHS-chee)

uphill

subida (soo-BEE-dah)

downhill

descida (deh-SEE-dah)

sloping street

ladeira (lah-DAY-rah)

Taxi!

Táxi! (Tak-see)

Take me to _____, please.

Leve-me para _____, por favor. (...)

How much does it cost to get to _____?

Quanto custa ir para _____? (KWAN-to CUS-tah eer pah-rah______)

Take me there, please.

Leve-me lá, por favor. (...)

Follow that car!

Siga aquele carro! (SEEgah AHkelE CAH-hoo (Brazil))

Try to not hit any pedestrian.

Tente não atropelar nenhum pedestre. (...)

Stop staring at me this way!

Pare de olhar para mim desta maneira! (...)

Would you mind driving slower?

Importa-te (-se if formal) de conduzir mais devagar?

Stop, I want to get out here.

Pare-te (Para-se), quero sair aqui.

OK, let's go, then.

OK, então vamos. (Okay en-TAUM VAH-mos)

Do you have any rooms available?

Tem quartos disponíveis? (teng KWAHR-toos dis-po-NEE-veys?)

How much is a room for one person/two people?

Quanto custa um quarto para uma/duas pessoa(s)? (KWAHN-too KOOS-tah oong KWAHR-too pah-rah OO-mah/DOO-as PESS-wa(s)?)

Does the room come with...

O quarto tem... (oo KWAHR-too teng)

...bedsheets?

...lençóis? (len-SOYSS?)

...a bathroom?

...um banheiro? (oom bah-NYAY-roh?)

...a telephone?

...um telefone? (teh-leh-FOW-nee)

...a TV?

...um televisor? (oon teh-leh-VEE-zor?)

May I see the room first?

Posso ver o quarto primeiro? (POH-soo vehr oo KWAHR-too pree-MAY-roo?)

Do you have anything quieter?

Tem algo mais calmo? (teng AHL-goo mighs KAHL-moo?)

...bigger?

...maior? (mah-YOHR?)

...cleaner?

...mais limpo? (mighs LIM-poo?)

...cheaper?

...mais barato? (mighs buh-RAH-too?)

OK, I'll take it.

OK, fico com ele. (FEE-coo com EL-ee)

I will stay for _____ night(s).

Ficarei _____ noite(s). (fee-car-AY _____ NO-ee-chee(s))

Can you suggest another hotel?

Pode sugerir outro hotel? (...)

Do you have a safe?

Tem um cofre? (...)

...lockers?

...cadeados? (...)

Is breakfast/supper included?

O café da manhã/ceia está incluído/a? (...)

What time is breakfast/supper?

A que horas é o café da manhã/ceia? (...)

Please clean my room.

Por favor limpe o meu quarto. (...)

Can you wake me at _____?

Pode acordar-me às _____? (...)

I want to check out.

Quero fazer o registo de saída. (...)

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?

Aceita dólares americanos/australianos/canadianos? (...)

Do you accept British pounds?

Aceita libras esterlinas? (...)

Do you accept credit cards?

Aceita cartões de crédito? (...)

Can you change money for me?

Pode trocar-me dinheiro? (...)

Where can I get money changed?

Onde posso trocar dinheiro? (ON-jee POH-soh troCAR dee-NYEY-roo)

What is the exchange rate?

Qual é a taxa de câmbio? (qual eh ah tasha d'cam-BEE-oh?)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?

Onde há um caixa eletrônico? (ON-jee ah oom KAEE-shah eleh-TROW-nee-koo)

A table for one person/two people, please.

Uma mesa para uma/duas pessoa(s), por favor. (...)

Can I look at the menu, please?

Posso ver o cardápio, por favor? (...)

Can I look in the kitchen?

Posso ver a cozinha, por favor? (...)

Is there a house specialty?

Ha uma especialidade da casa? (...)

Is there a local specialty?

Há uma especialidade local? (...)

I'm a vegetarian.

Sou vegetariano. (...)

I don't eat pork.

Não como porco. (...)

I only eat kosher food.

Só como kosher. (...)

Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)

Pode fazê-lo mais "leve" (menos óleo, manteiga, banha), por favor? (...)

half portion

meia porção (MEY-a pour-SAWN)

full portion

porção inteira (pour-SAWN een-TAY-rah)

fixed-price meal

prato feito (PRAH-too FAY-too), often shortened to PF

à la carte

a la carte (ALlah KART-ee)

breakfast

café da manhã (cah-FEH dah man-YAHN) (Lit. coffee of the morning)

lunch

almoço (aw-MOW-soo)

snack

lanche (LAHN-shee)

supper

jantar (zhan-TAHR)

fruit-and-vegetable store

sacolão (sah-koh-LOWN)

bread store

padaria (pah-dah-REE-ah)

I want _____.

Quero _____. (KEH-roo ____)

I want a dish containing _____.

Quero um prato de _____. (KEH-roo oom PRAH-too jee ___.)

chicken

frango(FRAN-goo)

steak

bife (BEE-fee)

fish

peixe (peysh)

ham

presunto (pre-ZOON-too)

sausage

salsicha (sal-SEE-shah)

cheese

queijo (KAY-zhoo)

egg

ovo (OW-voo), pl. ovos (OH-voos)

salad

salada (sah-LAH-dah)

barbecue/roasted meat

churrasco (shoo-HAS-koo)

non-leafy vegetables

legumes (lay-GOO-meess)

(fresh) leafy vegetables

verduras (frescas)(vehr-DO-rass FRAY-skass)

(fresh) fruit

fruta (fresca) (FROO-tass FRAY-skass)

orange

laranja (lah-RAHN-zhah)

lime

limão (lee-MAWN)

apple

maçã (mah-SAN)

pineapple

abacaxi (ah-bah-kah-SHEE)

acerola

acerola (ah-se-ROH-lah)

cashew

caju (kah-ZHOO)
In Brazil, this is the fruit; the nut is called castanha de caju (kash-TAH-nya ji kah-ZHOO).

guanabana, soursop

graviola (grah-vee-OH-lah)

starfruit

carambola (kah-ram-BOH-lah)

persimmon

caqui (kah-KEE)

strawberry

morango (moh-RAHNG-goo)

ice cream

sorvete (sowr-VAY-tah)

bread

pão (powng), pl. pães (pighngsh)

toast

torrada (tow-HAH-dah)

noodles

macarrão (mah-kah-RAWN)

rice

arroz (ah-ROZH)

whole grain

grão integral (grown een-cheh-GROWL)
This is said of brown rice too (arroz integral, not arroz castanho).

beans

feijão (fay-ZHAWN)
N.B. Do not confuse feijão, pl. feijões, beans, with the feijoa, a small guava-like fruit.

rice and beans

(the national staple food) arroz com feijão (ah-ROZH koom fay-ZHAWN)

May I have a glass of _____?

Quero um copo de _____? (...)

May I have a cup of _____?

Quero uma xícara de _____? (...)

May I have a bottle of _____?

Quero uma garrafa _____? (...)

coffee

café(kah-FEH)

tea (drink)

chá (shah)

juice

suco (SOO-koh)

(bubbly) water

água com gás (AH-gwah koom GAHS)

water

água (AH-gwah)

beer

cerveja (ser-VAY-zhah)

yerba mate

erva-mate/tererê/chimarrão (ehr-vah mah-TEH / _MAH-chee / teh-reh-REH / shee-mah-HOWN)

red/white wine

vinho tinto/branco (VEEN-yoo TEEN-too/BRAN-koo)

with/without

com/sem (kong/seng)

ice

gelo (ZHEH-loo)

sugar

açúcar (ah-SOO-kar)

sweetener

adoçante (ah-doh-SAHN-chee)

May I have some _____?

Pode me passar _____? (poh-DZHEE mee pah-SAH)

salt

sal (sahl)

black pepper

pimenta do reino (pee-MAN-tah doo HAY-noo)

red pepper

pimenta malagueta (pee-MAN-tah mow-lah-GHETT-tah)

butter

manteiga (mahn-TAY-gah)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

Desculpa, garçom? (dees-COOL-pah gar-SOWN)

I'm finished

Já acabei. (zhah ah-kah-BAY)

I'm full

Estou farto/a (is-tow FAR-too/tah)

It was delicious.

Estava delicioso. (is-TAH-vah deh-lee-SYOH-zoo)

Please clear the plates.

Por favor retire os pratos. (...)

The check, please.

A conta, por favor. (Ah KOWN-tah POUR fah-VOHR)

Do you serve alcohol?

Servem álcool? (...)

Is there table service?

Há serviço de mesas? (...)

A beer/two beers, please.

Uma cerveja/duas cervejas, por favor. (...)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

Um copo de vinho tinto/branco, por favor. (Oom KOH-poh d'Vinyoo TINtoo, por faVOR)

A pint, please.

Uma caneca, por favor. (...)

A bottle, please.

Uma garrafa, por favor. (...)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ and _____, please. (...)

beer

cerveja (sehr-VAY-zhah)

whiskey

whisky (wiss-kee)

vodka

vodka (...)

rum

rum (room)

Brazilian national drink (sugarcane liquor)

cachaça (kah-SHAH-sah), pinga (PEEN-gah) and hundreds of local nicknames

water

água (AH-gwah)

club soda

club soda (...)

tonic water

água tónica (...)

orange juice (Brazil)

suco de laranja (SOU-koh day lah-RAHN-jah)

Coke (soda)

Coca-Cola (...), or refrigerante

Do you have any bar snacks?

Tem aperitivos? (...)

One more, please.

Mais um/uma, por favor. (...)

Another round, please.

Mais uma rodada, por favor. (...)

When is closing time?

A que horas fecha? (...)

Do you have this in my size?

Tem isto no meu tamanho? (...)

How much is this?

Quanto custa? (...)

That's too expensive.

É muito caro. (...)

Would you take _____?

Aceita _____? (...)

expensive

caro (...)

cheap

barato (...)

I can't afford it.

Não tenho dinheiro suficiente. (...)

I don't want it.

Não quero. (...)

I'm not interested.

Não estou interessado/a. (..)

OK, I'll take it.

OK, eu levo. (...)

Can I have a bag?

Você tem um saco? (...)

Do you ship (overseas)?

Envia para outros países? (...)

I need...

Preciso de... (...)

...toothpaste.

...pasta de dentes. (...)

...a toothbrush.

...escova de dentes. (...)

...tampons.

...tampões. (...)

...soap.

...sabonete. (...)

...shampoo.

...xampu. (...)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

...aspirina. (...)

...cold medicine.

...remédio para resfriado. (...)

...stomach medicine.

...remédio para as dores de estômago. (...)

...a razor.

...uma gilete. (...)

...an umbrella.

...guarda-chuva. (...)

...sunblock lotion.

...protetor solar. (...)

...a postcard.

...um cartão postal (...)

...(postage) stamps.

...selos (de correio). (...)

...batteries.

...pilhas. (...)

...a pen.

...uma caneta. (...)

...English-language books.

...livros em inglês. (...)

...English-language magazines.

...revista em inglês. (...)

...an English-language newspaper.

...jornais em inglês. (...)

...an English-Portuguese dictionary.

...um dicionário de inglês-português. (...)

car, automobile, etc.

carro (CAH ho)

I want to rent a car.

Quero alugar um carro. (...)

Can I get insurance?

Posso fazer um seguro? (...)

breakdown (car doesn't work)

avaria (...)

stop (on a street sign)

pare (PAH-reh)

one way

mão única (...)

yield

preferência (...)

no parking

estacionamento proibido (...)

speed limit

limite de velocidade (...)

gas (petrol) station

posto de gasolina (...')

petrol

gasolina (...)

diesel

diesel (...)

towing enforced

sujeito a reboque

trunk (US), boot (UK)

porta-malas (...)

back seat

banco traseiro (...)

driver's seat

banco do motorista (...)

passenger's seat

banco do passageiro (...)

steering wheel

volante (...)

tire (US), tyre (UK)

pneu (...)

parking/emergency/hand brake

freio de estacionamento/ emergência/ mão (...)

brake pedal

pedal de freio (...)

brakes (in general)

freios (...)

alternator

alternador (...)

fan belt

correia de ventilador (...)

radiator

radiador (hah-jee-AH-dor)

It's his/her fault!

A culpa é dele/dela! (...)

Its not what its seems.

Não é o que parece (...)

I can explain it all.

Posso explicar tudo. (...)

I haven't done anything wrong.

Não fiz nada de errado. (...)

I swear I didn't do it Mr. Officer.

Juro que não fiz nada Seu Guarda. (...)

It was a misunderstanding.

Foi um engano. (...)

Where are you taking me?

Aonde me leva? (...)

Am I under arrest?

Estou detido? (...)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

Sou um cidadão americano/australiano/britânico/canadense [BR]/canadiano[PT]. (...)

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.

Quero falar com o consulado americano/australiano/britânico/canadense. (...)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

Quero falar com um advogado. (...)

Can I just pay a fine now?

Posso pagar a fiança agora? (...)