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You don’t need to be fluent in Portuguese to have an extraordinary trip to Brazil. But knowing a handful of basic words and phrases will transform your experience completely. Brazilians respond with genuine warmth when visitors make even a modest effort to communicate in Portuguese — a smile, a “bom dia,” a fumbled attempt at “obrigada”, and that warmth opens doors that English alone simply cannot.

Brazil is not a country where English is widely spoken outside of major tourist hotels and upscale restaurants in the largest cities. In markets, at bus stations, in smaller towns, at beach kiosks, with taxi drivers, with locals at festivals — Portuguese is the only option. Travelers who arrive with zero Portuguese vocabulary spend a lot of time pointing and miming. Travelers who arrive with even basic Portuguese phrases navigate the country with significantly more confidence, independence, and genuine human connection.

This guide is built specifically for English-speaking tourists visiting Brazil. It covers basic Portuguese words, essential travel phrases with pronunciation guides, situation-specific vocabulary for restaurants, transport, emergencies, and shopping, and cultural context that helps you use what you learn correctly. Bookmark it, print it, save it to your phone, and use it.

Why Brazilian Portuguese specifically?

A quick note before we dive in: there are two main varieties of Portuguese, European Portuguese (spoken in Portugal and parts of Africa) and Brazilian Portuguese. They are mutually intelligible but differ significantly in pronunciation, vocabulary, and rhythm.

Brazilian Portuguese is what you need for travel in Brazil, and it’s what this guide covers exclusively. Brazilian Portuguese tends to be spoken more openly and with clearer vowel sounds than European Portuguese, which many learners find easier to understand. The phrases in this guide are written and pronounced as Brazilians actually speak them — not textbook-formal Portuguese, but real, usable language.

How to pronounce Brazilian Portuguese: quick reference

Before the phrases, a few pronunciation principles that will make your attempts immediately more understandable:

Key sounds to know:

• ã / ão — a nasal vowel sound, like “owng” but through your nose. Irmão (brother) sounds roughly like “eer-MOWNG”
• lh — sounds like the “lh” in “million.” Filho (son) = “FEE-lyoo”
• nh — sounds like the “ny” in “canyon.” Amanhã (tomorrow) = “ah-mah-NYAH”
• r at the start of a word or double rr — sounds like a strong English “h.” Rio = “HEE-oo”; carro = “KAH-hoo”
• de and te — in Brazilian Portuguese (especially in Rio and São Paulo), these often sound like “jee” and “chee.” Bom dia = “bom JEE-ah”
• Stress — when a word has an accent mark (é, ó, â, etc.), that syllable is stressed

Don’t worry about perfect pronunciation. Brazilians are enthusiastic about any attempt to speak their language and will understand you even with a strong English accent. Just try.

Essential greetings — start every interaction right

Greetings matter enormously in Brazil. Brazilians greet everyone — shop assistants, taxi drivers, hotel staff, strangers at a beach kiosk — with a personal greeting before any transaction. Walking up to someone and immediately asking for something without greeting them first is considered abrupt and slightly rude. These phrases cost nothing and earn everything.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Olá	oh-LAH	Hello
Oi	oy	Hi (casual, very common)
Bom dia	bom JEE-ah	Good morning
Boa tarde	BOH-ah TAR-jee	Good afternoon
Boa noite	BOH-ah NOY-chee	Good evening / Good night
Tchau	CHOW	Bye (casual)
Até logo	ah-TEH LOH-goo	See you later
Até mais	ah-TEH MICE	See you later (very common)

The most important cultural note: In Brazil, “oi” (hi) is used constantly and is completely appropriate in almost any context, with shop assistants, hotel staff, friends, strangers. Don’t worry about formality; Brazilians are naturally warm and informal in their greetings.

Basic polite phrases — the foundation of good manners

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Por favor	por fah-VOR	Please
Obrigado	oh-bree-GAH-doo	Thank you (said by males)
Obrigada	oh-bree-GAH-dah	Thank you (said by females)
De nada	jee NAH-dah	You’re welcome
Com licença	kom lee-SEN-sah	Excuse me (to pass / get attention)
Desculpe	jess-KOOL-pee	Sorry / Excuse me (apology)
Perdão	pehr-DOWNG	Pardon / Forgiveness
Tudo bem?	TOO-doo beng?	How are you? / Everything OK?
Tudo bem!	TOO-doo beng!	I’m fine! / Everything’s good!
Tudo bom!	TOO-doo bong!	All good! (common response)

Cultural note on obrigado/obrigada: Unlike in many languages, the word for “thank you” in Portuguese changes based on the gender of the speaker, not the person being thanked. If you identify as male, say obrigado. If female, say obrigada. This is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make, and Brazilians always appreciate it when you get it right.

Basic conversation phrases

These are the phrases that keep communication flowing when things get more complicated — or when you simply want to connect with someone beyond a transaction.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Sim	sing	Yes
Não	nowng	No
Você fala inglês?	voh-SEH FAH-lah een-GLESH?	Do you speak English?
Eu não falo português	EH-oo nowng FAH-loo por-too-GESH	I don’t speak Portuguese
Eu falo um pouco	EH-oo FAH-loo oom POH-koo	I speak a little
Eu não entendo	EH-oo nowng en-TEN-doo	I don’t understand
Pode repetir?	POH-jee heh-peh-CHEER?	Can you repeat that?
Mais devagar, por favor	mice jeh-vah-GAR, por fah-VOR	More slowly, please
Como se diz…?	KOH-moo see JEE…?	How do you say…?
O que é isso?	oo KEH EH EE-soo?	What is this?
Meu nome é…	MEH-oo NOH-mee EH…	My name is…
Prazer em conhecer você	prah-ZEHR en koh-nyeh-SEHR voh-SEH	Nice to meet you
Ótimo!	OH-chee-moo	Great! / Excellent!
Legal!	leh-GAL	Cool! / Awesome! (very Brazilian)
Que saudade!	keh sow-DAH-jee	I’ve missed this / How I’ve missed you!

A note on “legal”: This is one of the most characteristically Brazilian words in everyday speech. It literally means “legal/lawful” but is used constantly to mean “cool,” “nice,” “great,” or simply to express approval of something. If a Brazilian says something is legal, they’re not talking about the law, they’re saying it’s good.

A note on “saudade”: This is arguably the most famous Portuguese word internationally — an untranslatable concept describing a bittersweet longing for something or someone absent. Using it correctly in context will earn you enormous goodwill from any Brazilian.

Numbers — essential for everything

Numbers are fundamental for prices, addresses, phone numbers, and times. Learn at least 1–20 before you go.

Number	Portuguese	Pronunciation
0	zero	ZEH-roo
1	um / uma	oom / OO-mah
2	dois / duas	doysh / DOO-ash
3	três	trehsh
4	quatro	KWAH-troo
5	cinco	SING-koo
6	seis	saysh
7	sete	SEH-chee
8	oito	OY-too
9	nove	NOH-vee
10	dez	desh
11	onze	OHN-zee
12	doze	DOH-zee
15	quinze	KEEN-zee
20	vinte	VEEN-chee
50	cinquenta	sing-KWEN-tah
100	cem	seng
200	duzentos	doo-ZEN-toos
1,000	mil	meel

Practical tip: When asking about prices, point and say quanto custa isso? (KWAN-too KOOS-tah EE-soo?) — “how much does this cost?” Brazilians will usually write the number down or show it on a calculator if they see you’re struggling with the spoken amount.

At the restaurant — Portuguese phrases for eating out

Food is one of the great joys of traveling in Brazil, and these phrases will help you navigate restaurants, markets, and street food vendors with confidence.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Uma mesa para dois, por favor	OO-mah MEH-zah PAH-rah doysh, por fah-VOR	A table for two, please
O cardápio, por favor	oo car-DAH-pee-oo, por fah-VOR	The menu, please
O que você recomenda?	oo keh voh-SEH heh-ko-MEN-dah?	What do you recommend?
Eu quero…	EH-oo KEH-roo…	I would like…
Sem… por favor	seng… por fah-VOR	Without… please
Sou vegetariano/a	soh veh-jeh-tah-ree-AH-noo/nah	I’m vegetarian
A conta, por favor	ah KON-tah, por fah-VOR	The bill, please
Está delicioso!	ess-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo!	It’s delicious!
Água	AH-gwah	Water
Cerveja	sehr-VEH-zhah	Beer
Caipirinha	kai-pee-REE-nyah	Caipirinha (Brazil’s national cocktail)
Suco	SOO-koo	Juice
Café	kah-FEH	Coffee
Pão de queijo	powng jee KAY-zhoo	Cheese bread (Brazilian classic)
Feijão	fay-ZHOWNG	Black beans
Arroz	ah-HOSH	Rice
Frango	FRANG-goo	Chicken
Carne	KAR-nee	Meat / Beef
Peixe	PAY-shee	Fish
Camarão	kah-mah-ROWNG	Shrimp

Useful tip: In many Brazilian restaurants, the service charge (gorjeta) of 10% is included in the bill as an optional addition, you’ll see it listed at the bottom. You’re not obligated to pay it, but leaving it is appreciated.

Getting around — transport and directions

These phrases cover taxis, Uber, buses, and asking for directions — the situations where language barriers cause the most stress.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Onde fica…?	ON-jee FEE-kah…?	Where is…?
Como chego a…?	KOH-moo SHEH-goo ah…?	How do I get to…?
Quero ir para…	KEH-roo eer PAH-rah…	I want to go to…
Pode me levar para…?	POH-jee mee leh-VAR PAH-rah…?	Can you take me to…?
Quanto custa para ir a…?	KWAN-too KOOS-tah PAH-rah eer ah…?	How much to go to…?
À esquerda	ah ess-KEHR-dah	To the left
À direita	ah jee-RAY-tah	To the right
Em frente	eng FREN-chee	Straight ahead
Aqui	ah-KEE	Here
Ali	ah-LEE	There
Perto	PER-too	Near / Close
Longe	LON-zhee	Far
Aeroporto	ah-eh-roo-POR-too	Airport
Hotel	oh-TEL	Hotel
Praia	PRAH-yah	Beach
Centro	SEN-troo	City center
Rodoviária	hoh-doh-vee-AH-ree-ah	Bus station
Táxi	TAK-see	Taxi
Ônibus	OH-nee-boos	Bus
Metrô	meh-TROH	Subway / Metro

Essential modern phrase: Most travelers in Brazil use Uber rather than traditional taxis. You generally don’t need Portuguese for the app itself, but knowing “pode confirmar o endereço?” (POH-jee kon-feer-MAR oo en-deh-REH-soo?) — “can you confirm the address?” — is useful when your driver calls to verify.

At the hotel

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Tenho uma reserva	TEN-yoo OO-mah heh-ZEHR-vah	I have a reservation
Quarto	KWAR-too	Room
Check-in / check-out	(same as English)	Check-in / check-out
A que horas é o check-out?	ah keh OH-rash EH oo check-out?	What time is check-out?
Tem Wi-Fi?	teng wee-FEE?	Do you have Wi-Fi?
Qual é a senha do Wi-Fi?	kwow EH ah SEN-yah doo wee-FEE?	What’s the Wi-Fi password?
Meu quarto não tem…	MEH-oo KWAR-too nowng teng…	My room doesn’t have…
Toalha	toh-AH-lyah	Towel
Travesseiro	trah-veh-SAY-roo	Pillow
Ar condicionado	ar kon-jee-see-oh-NAH-doo	Air conditioning

Shopping and markets

Brazil’s markets — from the Mercado Central in Belo Horizonte to the street markets of Salvador and the flower markets of Holambra — are among the country’s great pleasures, and a few phrases transform the experience.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Quanto custa?	KWAN-too KOOS-tah?	How much does it cost?
Quanto custa isso?	KWAN-too KOOS-tah EE-soo?	How much does this cost?
É muito caro	EH MWEE-too KAH-roo	It’s very expensive
Tem mais barato?	teng mice bah-RAH-too?	Do you have something cheaper?
Pode fazer um desconto?	POH-jee fah-ZEHR oom dess-KON-too?	Can you give a discount?
Vou levar	VOH leh-VAR	I’ll take it
Não, obrigado/a	nowng, oh-bree-GAH-doo/dah	No thank you
Aceita cartão?	ah-SAY-tah car-TOWNG?	Do you accept card?
Tem troco?	teng TROH-koo?	Do you have change?
Mercado	mehr-KAH-doo	Market
Loja	LOH-zhah	Shop

Practical note: In Brazil’s informal markets and smaller shops, bargaining is expected and good-natured. Always ask for a discount, the worst that can happen is they say no. Starting with “pode fazer um desconto?” said with a smile is the correct approach.

Beach vocabulary — essential for Brazil

Brazil has over 8,000 km of coastline. You will spend time on a beach. These words matter.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Praia	PRAH-yah	Beach
Mar	mar	Sea
Onda	ON-dah	Wave
Areia	ah-RAY-ah	Sand
Sol	soul	Sun
Guarda-sol	GWAR-dah soul	Beach umbrella
Cadeira	kah-DAY-rah	Chair
Bronzeador	bron-zeh-ah-DOR	Sunscreen / Tanning lotion
Protetor solar	pro-teh-TOR soh-LAR	Sunscreen
Água de coco	AH-gwah jee KOH-koo	Coconut water
Caixa	KAH-ee-shah	Till / Checkout
Proibido nadar	pro-ee-BEE-doo nah-DAR	Swimming prohibited
Cuidado	kwee-DAH-doo	Careful / Watch out

Emergency phrases — know these before you go

These phrases are the most important in the guide. Hopefully you’ll never need them — but having them memorized gives you confidence and can make a real difference in a stressful situation.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Socorro!	soh-KOH-hoo!	Help!
Chame a polícia!	SHAH-mee ah poh-LEE-see-ah!	Call the police!
Chame uma ambulância!	SHAH-mee OO-mah am-boo-LAN-see-ah!	Call an ambulance!
Preciso de ajuda	preh-SEE-zoo jee ah-ZHU-dah	I need help
Estou doente	ess-TOH doh-EN-chee	I’m sick
Estou perdido/a	ess-TOH per-JEE-doo/dah	I’m lost
Me roubaram	mee hoh-BAH-rowng	I was robbed
Onde fica o hospital?	ON-jee FEE-kah oo oss-pee-TAL?	Where is the hospital?
Farmácia	far-MAH-see-ah	Pharmacy
Medicamento	meh-jee-kah-MEN-too	Medicine
Alergia	ah-lehr-ZHEE-ah	Allergy
Sou alérgico/a a…	soh ah-LEHR-zhee-koo/kah ah…	I’m allergic to…
Passaporte	pah-sah-POR-chee	Passport
Embaixada	em-bye-SHAH-dah	Embassy

Important: Save the local emergency numbers in your phone before arrival. In Brazil, the universal emergency number is 190 (police), 192 (ambulance), and 193 (fire). These work from any mobile phone.

For any serious incident, having travel insurance is non-negotiable. SafetyWing covers medical emergencies across all of Brazil — from ~USD $42/month. Make sure you have it before you land.

Time and days — practical vocabulary

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Hoje	OH-zhee	Today
Amanhã	ah-mah-NYAH	Tomorrow
Ontem	ON-teng	Yesterday
Agora	ah-GOH-rah	Now
Mais tarde	mice TAR-jee	Later
Manhã	mah-NYAH	Morning
Tarde	TAR-jee	Afternoon
Noite	NOY-chee	Evening / Night
Segunda-feira	seh-GOON-dah FAY-rah	Monday
Terça-feira	TEHR-sah FAY-rah	Tuesday
Quarta-feira	KWAR-tah FAY-rah	Wednesday
Quinta-feira	KEEN-tah FAY-rah	Thursday
Sexta-feira	SESH-tah FAY-rah	Friday
Sábado	SAH-bah-doo	Saturday
Domingo	doh-MING-goo	Sunday
Que horas são?	keh OH-rash sowng?	What time is it?

Uniquely Brazilian words every visitor should know

These are words and expressions that are culturally specific to Brazil, not just useful vocabulary, but windows into the Brazilian way of seeing the world.

Saudade (sow-DAH-jee): The most famous Portuguese word internationally — an untranslatable longing or nostalgia for something or someone absent. Not quite sadness, not quite happiness. A bittersweet ache. Brazilians use it constantly and sincerely.

Jeitinho brasileiro (zhay-CHEE-nyoo bra-see-LAY-roo): The “Brazilian way” — the creative, flexible, informal approach to solving problems and navigating bureaucracy. You’ll encounter the jeitinho constantly in Brazil, and understanding the concept makes the country make more sense.

Saudável (sow-DAH-vel): Healthy. Brazilians are enormously focused on health and wellness, and saudável appears on menus, product labels, and in everyday conversation constantly.

Bagunça (bah-GOON-sah): Mess, chaos, disorder. Used affectionately. “Que bagunça!” = “What a mess!” — often said with a smile.

Caprichar (kah-pree-SHAR): To take special care with something; to do it really well. “Capricha aí!” = “Do your best with it!” A beautiful concept.

Axé (ah-SHEH): In the Candomblé tradition, axé is spiritual power and positive energy. In everyday Brazilian speech, “axé” is used as a blessing, a toast, or simply an affirmation — like “amen” or “blessings.”

Eita! (AY-tah): An exclamation of surprise, roughly equivalent to “wow!” or “damn!” Extremely Brazilian and slightly informal.

Misericórdia! (mee-zeh-ree-KOR-jee-ah): Literally “mercy!” — used as a strong exclamation of shock or exasperation. Extremely northeastern Brazilian.

Pronunciation tips for common tourist challenges

City names: Knowing how to pronounce the places you’re visiting helps enormously with taxi drivers and locals.

City	Correct Pronunciation
São Paulo	sowng PAH-loo
Rio de Janeiro	HEE-oo jee zhah-NAY-roo
Salvador	sal-vah-DOR
Fortaleza	for-tah-LEH-zah
Florianópolis	flor-ee-ah-NOP-oh-lees
Foz do Iguaçu	fosh doo ee-gwah-SOO
Recife	heh-SEE-fee
Manaus	mah-NOWS
Búzios	BOO-zee-oosh
Ubatuba	oo-bah-TOO-bah

Quick reference: the 30 most useful phrases for Brazil

If you only memorize one section of this guide, make it this one. These 30 phrases cover the vast majority of situations you’ll encounter as a tourist in Brazil.

1. Olá / Oi — Hello / Hi
2. Bom dia / Boa tarde / Boa noite — Good morning / afternoon / night
3. Tudo bem? — How are you?
4. Tudo bem! — I’m fine!
5. Por favor — Please
6. Obrigado / Obrigada — Thank you
7. De nada — You’re welcome
8. Com licença — Excuse me
9. Desculpe — Sorry
10. Sim / Não — Yes / No
11. Quanto custa? — How much does it cost?
12. Onde fica…? — Where is…?
13. Quero ir para… — I want to go to…
14. Você fala inglês? — Do you speak English?
15. Eu não falo português — I don’t speak Portuguese
16. Pode repetir? — Can you repeat that?
17. Mais devagar, por favor — More slowly, please
18. Eu não entendo — I don’t understand
19. A conta, por favor — The bill, please
20. Tem Wi-Fi? — Do you have Wi-Fi?
21. Aceita cartão? — Do you accept card?
22. Pode fazer um desconto? — Can you give a discount?
23. Estou perdido/a — I’m lost
24. Preciso de ajuda — I need help
25. Socorro! — Help!
26. Chame a polícia! — Call the police!
27. Estou doente — I’m sick
28. Sou alérgico/a a… — I’m allergic to…
29. Está delicioso! — It’s delicious!
30. Legal! — Cool! / Great!

Tips for learning Portuguese before your trip

You don’t need months of study to prepare for a Brazil trip. Here are the most efficient approaches:

Apps: Duolingo (Brazilian Portuguese is one of its most popular courses) and Pimsleur (excellent for pronunciation) are both free or low-cost and can get you to a useful conversational level in weeks. Even 10 minutes a day for a month makes a significant difference.

YouTube: “Speaking Brazilian” and “Português com Letícia” are two excellent free channels specifically teaching Brazilian Portuguese for real-life communication — not textbook-formal Portuguese.

Music: Brazilian music is an extraordinary language learning tool. MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), forró, and samba are full of simple, repeated phrases at natural speaking speed. Look up lyrics while you listen.

Practical immersion: Once in Brazil, make a game of using one new phrase per day with a real person. Brazilians are the most encouraging language learning audience in the world — they will celebrate your attempts, not judge them.

Practical travel tips for non-portuguese speakers

Even with the vocabulary in this guide, navigating Brazil without Portuguese requires some preparation:

Download Google Translate offline. The app’s camera translation feature is extraordinary for menus, signs, and written text. Download the Portuguese (Brazil) language pack before you go so it works without data.

Save key addresses as text. Hotel addresses, emergency contacts, and important locations saved as text on your phone mean you can show them to drivers and helpers without needing to pronounce anything.

Use a translation app for complex communication. For medical situations or important conversations, a translation app is more reliable than attempting complex phrases from memory.

Learn numbers above all else. Understanding prices, addresses, and phone numbers makes an enormous practical difference. Numbers are worth drilling more than any other vocabulary.

For more Brazil travel preparation, see our guides to what to pack for a trip to Brazil, what to wear in Brazil, travel hacks for visiting Brazil, and travel safety in Brazil. For all our travel tips and guides, explore the Do in Brazil travel tips section.

Getting around Brazil With your new portuguese skills

With basic Portuguese under your belt, the next step is planning the logistics of your trip. For transport across Brazil’s vast distances, Rentcars.com lets you compare car rental rates from multiple suppliers across all major Brazilian cities and airports — ideal for road trips along the São Paulo coast, through the Northeast, or into the Serra Gaúcha highlands.

And before any international trip to Brazil, make sure you have travel insurance. SafetyWing offers flexible, affordable coverage from ~USD $42/month, including medical emergencies across all of Brazil — remote destinations, cities, and everywhere in between.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most basic Portuguese words to learn before visiting Brazil? The most essential words are: olá/oi (hello), obrigado/obrigada (thank you), por favor (please), sim/não (yes/no), quanto custa? (how much?), onde fica? (where is?), and socorro (help). With these seven, you can navigate most basic situations.

How do you say basic words in Portuguese? Key basics: yes = sim, no = não, please = por favor, thank you = obrigado (male) / obrigada (female), hello = olá or oi, goodbye = tchau, water = água, help = ajuda or socorro.

What are the most useful Portuguese phrases for tourists? The most practical phrases for tourists in Brazil are: Onde fica…? (Where is…?), Quanto custa isso? (How much does this cost?), Você fala inglês? (Do you speak English?), A conta, por favor (The bill, please), Tudo bem? (How are you?), and Pode repetir mais devagar? (Can you repeat more slowly?).

Is Portuguese hard to learn for English speakers? Brazilian Portuguese is considered moderately difficult for English speakers — harder than Spanish, easier than Mandarin. The grammar has some complexity (gendered nouns, verb conjugations), but pronunciation is generally consistent and the vocabulary has many cognates with English. For travel purposes, a few weeks of basic practice is enough to make a meaningful difference.

Do people speak English in Brazil? English is spoken in upscale hotels, some tourist areas in major cities, and by younger urban Brazilians — but it’s not widely spoken outside these contexts. In markets, smaller towns, taxis, local restaurants, and much of the country, Portuguese is your only option. Any Portuguese you learn will be genuinely useful.

What is the difference between Brazilian and European Portuguese? Brazilian Portuguese is spoken more openly with clearer vowel sounds. European Portuguese drops or swallows many vowels, making it harder to understand at first. The vocabulary differs in some areas (e.g., “bus” is ônibus in Brazil and autocarro in Portugal). For travel in Brazil specifically, learn Brazilian Portuguese — the pronunciation and some vocabulary differ enough that European Portuguese preparation can actually confuse things.

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Ready to put your Portuguese to use? Explore our complete Brazil travel guides and start planning your trip at doinbrazil.com.

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