{"id":3790,"date":"2026-05-28T11:58:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T11:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/?p=3790"},"modified":"2026-05-28T11:58:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T11:58:59","slug":"basic-portuguese-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/basic-portuguese-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Basic Portuguese words and phrases for tourists: the complete Brazil travel guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>You don&#8217;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.<\/strong> Brazilians respond with genuine warmth when visitors make even a modest effort to communicate in Portuguese \u2014 a smile, a &#8220;bom dia,&#8221; a fumbled attempt at &#8220;obrigada&#8221;, and that warmth opens doors that English alone simply cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f7f0; border:1.5px solid #c0d8f0; border-radius:10px; padding:18px 22px; margin:24px 0; font-family:sans-serif;\">\n  <p style=\"margin:0 0 12px 0; font-weight:700; font-size:15px; color:#1a1a2e;\">\n    \ud83e\uddf3 Plan your trip to Brazil\n  <\/p>\n  <p style=\"margin:6px 0; font-size:14px;\">\ud83c\udfe8 <strong>Hotels:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awin1.com\/cread.php?awinmid=18120&amp;awinaffid=1760981\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Browse the best hotels on Booking.com<\/a><\/p>\n  <p style=\"margin:6px 0; font-size:14px;\">\ud83c\udf9f\ufe0f <strong>Tours &amp; activities:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.civitatis.com\/en\/brazil\/?aid=107991\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Find tours on Civitatis<\/a> \u00b7 \n  <\/p><p style=\"margin:6px 0; font-size:14px;\">\ud83d\ude97 <strong>Car rental:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcars.com\/en\/?requestorid=10269&amp;utm_source=doinbrazil.com&amp;utm_medium=afiliado-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Compare prices on Rentcars<\/a><\/p>\n  <p style=\"margin:6px 0; font-size:14px;\">\ud83d\udee1\ufe0f <strong>Travel insurance:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/safetywing.com\/?referenceID=26412799&amp;utm_source=26412799&amp;utm_medium=Ambassador\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener sponsored\">Get a quote here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Brazilian Portuguese specifically?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brazilian Portuguese is what you need for travel in Brazil, and it&#8217;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 \u2014 not textbook-formal Portuguese, but real, usable language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to pronounce Brazilian Portuguese: quick reference<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the phrases, a few pronunciation principles that will make your attempts immediately more understandable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key sounds to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>\u00e3 \/ \u00e3o<\/strong> \u2014 a nasal vowel sound, like &#8220;owng&#8221; but through your nose. Irm\u00e3o (brother) sounds roughly like &#8220;eer-MOWNG&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>lh<\/strong> \u2014 sounds like the &#8220;lh&#8221; in &#8220;million.&#8221; Filho (son) = &#8220;FEE-lyoo&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>nh<\/strong> \u2014 sounds like the &#8220;ny&#8221; in &#8220;canyon.&#8221; Amanh\u00e3 (tomorrow) = &#8220;ah-mah-NYAH&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>r<\/strong> at the start of a word or double rr \u2014 sounds like a strong English &#8220;h.&#8221; Rio = &#8220;HEE-oo&#8221;; carro = &#8220;KAH-hoo&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>de<\/strong> and <strong>te<\/strong> \u2014 in Brazilian Portuguese (especially in Rio and S\u00e3o Paulo), these often sound like &#8220;jee&#8221; and &#8220;chee.&#8221; Bom dia = &#8220;bom JEE-ah&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stress<\/strong> \u2014 when a word has an accent mark (\u00e9, \u00f3, \u00e2, etc.), that syllable is stressed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Essential greetings \u2014 start every interaction right<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Greetings matter enormously in Brazil. Brazilians greet everyone \u2014 shop assistants, taxi drivers, hotel staff, strangers at a beach kiosk \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ol\u00e1<\/td><td>oh-LAH<\/td><td>Hello<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Oi<\/td><td>oy<\/td><td>Hi (casual, very common)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bom dia<\/td><td>bom JEE-ah<\/td><td>Good morning<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Boa tarde<\/td><td>BOH-ah TAR-jee<\/td><td>Good afternoon<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Boa noite<\/td><td>BOH-ah NOY-chee<\/td><td>Good evening \/ Good night<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tchau<\/td><td>CHOW<\/td><td>Bye (casual)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>At\u00e9 logo<\/td><td>ah-TEH LOH-goo<\/td><td>See you later<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>At\u00e9 mais<\/td><td>ah-TEH MICE<\/td><td>See you later (very common)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The most important cultural note:<\/strong> In Brazil, &#8220;oi&#8221; (hi) is used constantly and is completely appropriate in almost any context, with shop assistants, hotel staff, friends, strangers. Don&#8217;t worry about formality; Brazilians are naturally warm and informal in their greetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Basic polite phrases \u2014 the foundation of good manners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Por favor<\/td><td>por fah-VOR<\/td><td>Please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Obrigado<\/td><td>oh-bree-GAH-doo<\/td><td>Thank you (said by males)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Obrigada<\/td><td>oh-bree-GAH-dah<\/td><td>Thank you (said by females)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>De nada<\/td><td>jee NAH-dah<\/td><td>You&#8217;re welcome<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Com licen\u00e7a<\/td><td>kom lee-SEN-sah<\/td><td>Excuse me (to pass \/ get attention)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Desculpe<\/td><td>jess-KOOL-pee<\/td><td>Sorry \/ Excuse me (apology)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Perd\u00e3o<\/td><td>pehr-DOWNG<\/td><td>Pardon \/ Forgiveness<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tudo bem?<\/td><td>TOO-doo beng?<\/td><td>How are you? \/ Everything OK?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tudo bem!<\/td><td>TOO-doo beng!<\/td><td>I&#8217;m fine! \/ Everything&#8217;s good!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tudo bom!<\/td><td>TOO-doo bong!<\/td><td>All good! (common response)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cultural note on obrigado\/obrigada:<\/strong> Unlike in many languages, the word for &#8220;thank you&#8221; in Portuguese changes based on the gender of the speaker, not the person being thanked. If you identify as male, say <em>obrigado<\/em>. If female, say <em>obrigada<\/em>. This is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make, and Brazilians always appreciate it when you get it right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Basic conversation phrases<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the phrases that keep communication flowing when things get more complicated \u2014 or when you simply want to connect with someone beyond a transaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sim<\/td><td>sing<\/td><td>Yes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>N\u00e3o<\/td><td>nowng<\/td><td>No<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Voc\u00ea fala ingl\u00eas?<\/td><td>voh-SEH FAH-lah een-GLESH?<\/td><td>Do you speak English?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eu n\u00e3o falo portugu\u00eas<\/td><td>EH-oo nowng FAH-loo por-too-GESH<\/td><td>I don&#8217;t speak Portuguese<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eu falo um pouco<\/td><td>EH-oo FAH-loo oom POH-koo<\/td><td>I speak a little<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eu n\u00e3o entendo<\/td><td>EH-oo nowng en-TEN-doo<\/td><td>I don&#8217;t understand<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pode repetir?<\/td><td>POH-jee heh-peh-CHEER?<\/td><td>Can you repeat that?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mais devagar, por favor<\/td><td>mice jeh-vah-GAR, por fah-VOR<\/td><td>More slowly, please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Como se diz&#8230;?<\/td><td>KOH-moo see JEE&#8230;?<\/td><td>How do you say&#8230;?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>O que \u00e9 isso?<\/td><td>oo KEH EH EE-soo?<\/td><td>What is this?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Meu nome \u00e9&#8230;<\/td><td>MEH-oo NOH-mee EH&#8230;<\/td><td>My name is&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Prazer em conhecer voc\u00ea<\/td><td>prah-ZEHR en koh-nyeh-SEHR voh-SEH<\/td><td>Nice to meet you<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00d3timo!<\/td><td>OH-chee-moo<\/td><td>Great! \/ Excellent!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Legal!<\/td><td>leh-GAL<\/td><td>Cool! \/ Awesome! (very Brazilian)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Que saudade!<\/td><td>keh sow-DAH-jee<\/td><td>I&#8217;ve missed this \/ How I&#8217;ve missed you!<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A note on &#8220;legal&#8221;:<\/strong> This is one of the most characteristically Brazilian words in everyday speech. It literally means &#8220;legal\/lawful&#8221; but is used constantly to mean &#8220;cool,&#8221; &#8220;nice,&#8221; &#8220;great,&#8221; or simply to express approval of something. If a Brazilian says something is <em>legal<\/em>, they&#8217;re not talking about the law, they&#8217;re saying it&#8217;s good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A note on &#8220;saudade&#8221;:<\/strong> This is arguably the most famous Portuguese word internationally \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Numbers \u2014 essential for everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Numbers are fundamental for prices, addresses, phone numbers, and times. Learn at least 1\u201320 before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Number<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>0<\/td><td>zero<\/td><td>ZEH-roo<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td>um \/ uma<\/td><td>oom \/ OO-mah<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>dois \/ duas<\/td><td>doysh \/ DOO-ash<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>tr\u00eas<\/td><td>trehsh<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>quatro<\/td><td>KWAH-troo<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>cinco<\/td><td>SING-koo<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>seis<\/td><td>saysh<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>sete<\/td><td>SEH-chee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>oito<\/td><td>OY-too<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>nove<\/td><td>NOH-vee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>dez<\/td><td>desh<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>onze<\/td><td>OHN-zee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>doze<\/td><td>DOH-zee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>quinze<\/td><td>KEEN-zee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>vinte<\/td><td>VEEN-chee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>50<\/td><td>cinquenta<\/td><td>sing-KWEN-tah<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>100<\/td><td>cem<\/td><td>seng<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>200<\/td><td>duzentos<\/td><td>doo-ZEN-toos<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>1,000<\/td><td>mil<\/td><td>meel<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical tip:<\/strong> When asking about prices, point and say <em>quanto custa isso?<\/em> (KWAN-too KOOS-tah EE-soo?) \u2014 &#8220;how much does this cost?&#8221; Brazilians will usually write the number down or show it on a calculator if they see you&#8217;re struggling with the spoken amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>At the restaurant \u2014 Portuguese phrases for eating out<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Uma mesa para dois, por favor<\/td><td>OO-mah MEH-zah PAH-rah doysh, por fah-VOR<\/td><td>A table for two, please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>O card\u00e1pio, por favor<\/td><td>oo car-DAH-pee-oo, por fah-VOR<\/td><td>The menu, please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>O que voc\u00ea recomenda?<\/td><td>oo keh voh-SEH heh-ko-MEN-dah?<\/td><td>What do you recommend?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Eu quero&#8230;<\/td><td>EH-oo KEH-roo&#8230;<\/td><td>I would like&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sem&#8230; por favor<\/td><td>seng&#8230; por fah-VOR<\/td><td>Without&#8230; please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sou vegetariano\/a<\/td><td>soh veh-jeh-tah-ree-AH-noo\/nah<\/td><td>I&#8217;m vegetarian<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>A conta, por favor<\/td><td>ah KON-tah, por fah-VOR<\/td><td>The bill, please<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Est\u00e1 delicioso!<\/td><td>ess-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo!<\/td><td>It&#8217;s delicious!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00c1gua<\/td><td>AH-gwah<\/td><td>Water<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cerveja<\/td><td>sehr-VEH-zhah<\/td><td>Beer<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Caipirinha<\/td><td>kai-pee-REE-nyah<\/td><td>Caipirinha (Brazil&#8217;s national cocktail)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Suco<\/td><td>SOO-koo<\/td><td>Juice<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Caf\u00e9<\/td><td>kah-FEH<\/td><td>Coffee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>P\u00e3o de queijo<\/td><td>powng jee KAY-zhoo<\/td><td>Cheese bread (Brazilian classic)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Feij\u00e3o<\/td><td>fay-ZHOWNG<\/td><td>Black beans<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Arroz<\/td><td>ah-HOSH<\/td><td>Rice<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Frango<\/td><td>FRANG-goo<\/td><td>Chicken<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Carne<\/td><td>KAR-nee<\/td><td>Meat \/ Beef<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Peixe<\/td><td>PAY-shee<\/td><td>Fish<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Camar\u00e3o<\/td><td>kah-mah-ROWNG<\/td><td>Shrimp<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Useful tip:<\/strong> In many Brazilian restaurants, the service charge (gorjeta) of 10% is included in the bill as an optional addition, you&#8217;ll see it listed at the bottom. You&#8217;re not obligated to pay it, but leaving it is appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Rustic-Style-Restaurant-at-Jericoacoara-Brazil.png\" alt=\"Rustic Style Restaurant at Jericoacoara Brazil\" class=\"wp-image-2656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Rustic-Style-Restaurant-at-Jericoacoara-Brazil.png 600w, https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Rustic-Style-Restaurant-at-Jericoacoara-Brazil-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Savor local flavors at charming rustic-style restaurants in Jericoacoara! (Source: Canva)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Getting around \u2014 transport and directions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These phrases cover taxis, Uber, buses, and asking for directions \u2014 the situations where language barriers cause the most stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Onde fica&#8230;?<\/td><td>ON-jee FEE-kah&#8230;?<\/td><td>Where is&#8230;?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Como chego a&#8230;?<\/td><td>KOH-moo SHEH-goo ah&#8230;?<\/td><td>How do I get to&#8230;?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quero ir para&#8230;<\/td><td>KEH-roo eer PAH-rah&#8230;<\/td><td>I want to go to&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pode me levar para&#8230;?<\/td><td>POH-jee mee leh-VAR PAH-rah&#8230;?<\/td><td>Can you take me to&#8230;?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quanto custa para ir a&#8230;?<\/td><td>KWAN-too KOOS-tah PAH-rah eer ah&#8230;?<\/td><td>How much to go to&#8230;?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00c0 esquerda<\/td><td>ah ess-KEHR-dah<\/td><td>To the left<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00c0 direita<\/td><td>ah jee-RAY-tah<\/td><td>To the right<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Em frente<\/td><td>eng FREN-chee<\/td><td>Straight ahead<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Aqui<\/td><td>ah-KEE<\/td><td>Here<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ali<\/td><td>ah-LEE<\/td><td>There<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Perto<\/td><td>PER-too<\/td><td>Near \/ Close<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Longe<\/td><td>LON-zhee<\/td><td>Far<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Aeroporto<\/td><td>ah-eh-roo-POR-too<\/td><td>Airport<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hotel<\/td><td>oh-TEL<\/td><td>Hotel<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Praia<\/td><td>PRAH-yah<\/td><td>Beach<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Centro<\/td><td>SEN-troo<\/td><td>City center<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rodovi\u00e1ria<\/td><td>hoh-doh-vee-AH-ree-ah<\/td><td>Bus station<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>T\u00e1xi<\/td><td>TAK-see<\/td><td>Taxi<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00d4nibus<\/td><td>OH-nee-boos<\/td><td>Bus<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Metr\u00f4<\/td><td>meh-TROH<\/td><td>Subway \/ Metro<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Essential modern phrase:<\/strong> Most travelers in Brazil use Uber rather than traditional taxis. You generally don&#8217;t need Portuguese for the app itself, but knowing <em>&#8220;pode confirmar o endere\u00e7o?&#8221;<\/em> (POH-jee kon-feer-MAR oo en-deh-REH-soo?) \u2014 &#8220;can you confirm the address?&#8221; \u2014 is useful when your driver calls to verify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>At the hotel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tenho uma reserva<\/td><td>TEN-yoo OO-mah heh-ZEHR-vah<\/td><td>I have a reservation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quarto<\/td><td>KWAR-too<\/td><td>Room<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Check-in \/ check-out<\/td><td>(same as English)<\/td><td>Check-in \/ check-out<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>A que horas \u00e9 o check-out?<\/td><td>ah keh OH-rash EH oo check-out?<\/td><td>What time is check-out?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tem Wi-Fi?<\/td><td>teng wee-FEE?<\/td><td>Do you have Wi-Fi?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Qual \u00e9 a senha do Wi-Fi?<\/td><td>kwow EH ah SEN-yah doo wee-FEE?<\/td><td>What&#8217;s the Wi-Fi password?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Meu quarto n\u00e3o tem&#8230;<\/td><td>MEH-oo KWAR-too nowng teng&#8230;<\/td><td>My room doesn&#8217;t have&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Toalha<\/td><td>toh-AH-lyah<\/td><td>Towel<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Travesseiro<\/td><td>trah-veh-SAY-roo<\/td><td>Pillow<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ar condicionado<\/td><td>ar kon-jee-see-oh-NAH-doo<\/td><td>Air conditioning<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shopping and markets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brazil&#8217;s markets \u2014 from the Mercado Central in <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/belo-horizonte-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Belo Horizonte <\/a>to the street markets of <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/salvador-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Salvador<\/a> and the flower markets of <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/holambra-sao-paulo-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Holambra<\/a> \u2014 are among the country&#8217;s great pleasures, and a few phrases transform the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quanto custa?<\/td><td>KWAN-too KOOS-tah?<\/td><td>How much does it cost?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quanto custa isso?<\/td><td>KWAN-too KOOS-tah EE-soo?<\/td><td>How much does this cost?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00c9 muito caro<\/td><td>EH MWEE-too KAH-roo<\/td><td>It&#8217;s very expensive<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tem mais barato?<\/td><td>teng mice bah-RAH-too?<\/td><td>Do you have something cheaper?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pode fazer um desconto?<\/td><td>POH-jee fah-ZEHR oom dess-KON-too?<\/td><td>Can you give a discount?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Vou levar<\/td><td>VOH leh-VAR<\/td><td>I&#8217;ll take it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>N\u00e3o, obrigado\/a<\/td><td>nowng, oh-bree-GAH-doo\/dah<\/td><td>No thank you<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Aceita cart\u00e3o?<\/td><td>ah-SAY-tah car-TOWNG?<\/td><td>Do you accept card?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tem troco?<\/td><td>teng TROH-koo?<\/td><td>Do you have change?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mercado<\/td><td>mehr-KAH-doo<\/td><td>Market<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Loja<\/td><td>LOH-zhah<\/td><td>Shop<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical note:<\/strong> In Brazil&#8217;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 <em>&#8220;pode fazer um desconto?&#8221;<\/em> said with a smile is the correct approach.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mercado-municipal-de-curitiba.png\" alt=\"Curitiba\u2019s Municipal Market (Source: Personal Archive)\" class=\"wp-image-2488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mercado-municipal-de-curitiba.png 600w, https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/mercado-municipal-de-curitiba-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Curitiba\u2019s Municipal Market (Source: Personal Archive)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Beach vocabulary \u2014 essential for Brazil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brazil has over 8,000 km of coastline. You will spend time on a beach. These words matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Praia<\/td><td>PRAH-yah<\/td><td>Beach<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mar<\/td><td>mar<\/td><td>Sea<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Onda<\/td><td>ON-dah<\/td><td>Wave<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Areia<\/td><td>ah-RAY-ah<\/td><td>Sand<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sol<\/td><td>soul<\/td><td>Sun<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Guarda-sol<\/td><td>GWAR-dah soul<\/td><td>Beach umbrella<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cadeira<\/td><td>kah-DAY-rah<\/td><td>Chair<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bronzeador<\/td><td>bron-zeh-ah-DOR<\/td><td>Sunscreen \/ Tanning lotion<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Protetor solar<\/td><td>pro-teh-TOR soh-LAR<\/td><td>Sunscreen<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\u00c1gua de coco<\/td><td>AH-gwah jee KOH-koo<\/td><td>Coconut water<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Caixa<\/td><td>KAH-ee-shah<\/td><td>Till \/ Checkout<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Proibido nadar<\/td><td>pro-ee-BEE-doo nah-DAR<\/td><td>Swimming prohibited<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cuidado<\/td><td>kwee-DAH-doo<\/td><td>Careful \/ Watch out<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Emergency phrases \u2014 know these before you go<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These phrases are the most important in the guide. Hopefully you&#8217;ll never need them \u2014 but having them memorized gives you confidence and can make a real difference in a stressful situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Socorro!<\/td><td>soh-KOH-hoo!<\/td><td>Help!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chame a pol\u00edcia!<\/td><td>SHAH-mee ah poh-LEE-see-ah!<\/td><td>Call the police!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chame uma ambul\u00e2ncia!<\/td><td>SHAH-mee OO-mah am-boo-LAN-see-ah!<\/td><td>Call an ambulance!<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Preciso de ajuda<\/td><td>preh-SEE-zoo jee ah-ZHU-dah<\/td><td>I need help<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Estou doente<\/td><td>ess-TOH doh-EN-chee<\/td><td>I&#8217;m sick<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Estou perdido\/a<\/td><td>ess-TOH per-JEE-doo\/dah<\/td><td>I&#8217;m lost<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Me roubaram<\/td><td>mee hoh-BAH-rowng<\/td><td>I was robbed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Onde fica o hospital?<\/td><td>ON-jee FEE-kah oo oss-pee-TAL?<\/td><td>Where is the hospital?<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Farm\u00e1cia<\/td><td>far-MAH-see-ah<\/td><td>Pharmacy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Medicamento<\/td><td>meh-jee-kah-MEN-too<\/td><td>Medicine<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Alergia<\/td><td>ah-lehr-ZHEE-ah<\/td><td>Allergy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sou al\u00e9rgico\/a a&#8230;<\/td><td>soh ah-LEHR-zhee-koo\/kah ah&#8230;<\/td><td>I&#8217;m allergic to&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Passaporte<\/td><td>pah-sah-POR-chee<\/td><td>Passport<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Embaixada<\/td><td>em-bye-SHAH-dah<\/td><td>Embassy<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important:<\/strong> Save the local emergency numbers in your phone before arrival. In Brazil, the universal emergency number is <strong>190<\/strong> (police), <strong>192<\/strong> (ambulance), and <strong>193<\/strong> (fire). These work from any mobile phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For any serious incident, having travel insurance is non-negotiable.<a href=\"https:\/\/safetywing.com\/?referenceID=26412799&amp;utm_source=26412799&amp;utm_medium=Ambassador\"> SafetyWing<\/a> covers medical emergencies across all of Brazil \u2014 from ~USD $42\/month. Make sure you have it before you land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Time and days \u2014 practical vocabulary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Portuguese<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>English<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Hoje<\/td><td>OH-zhee<\/td><td>Today<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Amanh\u00e3<\/td><td>ah-mah-NYAH<\/td><td>Tomorrow<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ontem<\/td><td>ON-teng<\/td><td>Yesterday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Agora<\/td><td>ah-GOH-rah<\/td><td>Now<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mais tarde<\/td><td>mice TAR-jee<\/td><td>Later<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Manh\u00e3<\/td><td>mah-NYAH<\/td><td>Morning<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Tarde<\/td><td>TAR-jee<\/td><td>Afternoon<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Noite<\/td><td>NOY-chee<\/td><td>Evening \/ Night<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Segunda-feira<\/td><td>seh-GOON-dah FAY-rah<\/td><td>Monday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ter\u00e7a-feira<\/td><td>TEHR-sah FAY-rah<\/td><td>Tuesday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quarta-feira<\/td><td>KWAR-tah FAY-rah<\/td><td>Wednesday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quinta-feira<\/td><td>KEEN-tah FAY-rah<\/td><td>Thursday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sexta-feira<\/td><td>SESH-tah FAY-rah<\/td><td>Friday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>S\u00e1bado<\/td><td>SAH-bah-doo<\/td><td>Saturday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Domingo<\/td><td>doh-MING-goo<\/td><td>Sunday<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Que horas s\u00e3o?<\/td><td>keh OH-rash sowng?<\/td><td>What time is it?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Uniquely Brazilian words every visitor should know<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saudade<\/strong> (sow-DAH-jee): The most famous Portuguese word internationally \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jeitinho brasileiro<\/strong> (zhay-CHEE-nyoo bra-see-LAY-roo): The &#8220;Brazilian way&#8221; \u2014 the creative, flexible, informal approach to solving problems and navigating bureaucracy. You&#8217;ll encounter the <em>jeitinho<\/em> constantly in Brazil, and understanding the concept makes the country make more sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Saud\u00e1vel<\/strong> (sow-DAH-vel): Healthy. Brazilians are enormously focused on health and wellness, and <em>saud\u00e1vel<\/em> appears on menus, product labels, and in everyday conversation constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bagun\u00e7a<\/strong> (bah-GOON-sah): Mess, chaos, disorder. Used affectionately. &#8220;Que bagun\u00e7a!&#8221; = &#8220;What a mess!&#8221; \u2014 often said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Caprichar<\/strong> (kah-pree-SHAR): To take special care with something; to do it really well. &#8220;Capricha a\u00ed!&#8221; = &#8220;Do your best with it!&#8221; A beautiful concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ax\u00e9<\/strong> (ah-SHEH): In the Candombl\u00e9 tradition, ax\u00e9 is spiritual power and positive energy. In everyday Brazilian speech, &#8220;ax\u00e9&#8221; is used as a blessing, a toast, or simply an affirmation \u2014 like &#8220;amen&#8221; or &#8220;blessings.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Eita!<\/strong> (AY-tah): An exclamation of surprise, roughly equivalent to &#8220;wow!&#8221; or &#8220;damn!&#8221; Extremely Brazilian and slightly informal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Miseric\u00f3rdia!<\/strong> (mee-zeh-ree-KOR-jee-ah): Literally &#8220;mercy!&#8221; \u2014 used as a strong exclamation of shock or exasperation. Extremely northeastern Brazilian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pronunciation tips for common tourist challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>City names:<\/strong> Knowing how to pronounce the places you&#8217;re visiting helps enormously with taxi drivers and locals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>City<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Correct Pronunciation<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>S\u00e3o Paulo<\/td><td>sowng PAH-loo<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Rio de Janeiro<\/td><td>HEE-oo jee zhah-NAY-roo<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Salvador<\/td><td>sal-vah-DOR<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fortaleza<\/td><td>for-tah-LEH-zah<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Florian\u00f3polis<\/td><td>flor-ee-ah-NOP-oh-lees<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Foz do Igua\u00e7u<\/td><td>fosh doo ee-gwah-SOO<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Recife<\/td><td>heh-SEE-fee<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Manaus<\/td><td>mah-NOWS<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>B\u00fazios<\/td><td>BOO-zee-oosh<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Ubatuba<\/td><td>oo-bah-TOO-bah<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quick reference: the 30 most useful phrases for Brazil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you only memorize one section of this guide, make it this one. These 30 phrases cover the vast majority of situations you&#8217;ll encounter as a tourist in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ol\u00e1 \/ Oi \u2014 Hello \/ Hi<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bom dia \/ Boa tarde \/ Boa noite \u2014 Good morning \/ afternoon \/ night<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tudo bem? \u2014 How are you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tudo bem! \u2014 I&#8217;m fine!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Por favor \u2014 Please<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obrigado \/ Obrigada \u2014 Thank you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>De nada \u2014 You&#8217;re welcome<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Com licen\u00e7a \u2014 Excuse me<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Desculpe \u2014 Sorry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sim \/ N\u00e3o \u2014 Yes \/ No<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quanto custa? \u2014 How much does it cost?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Onde fica&#8230;? \u2014 Where is&#8230;?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quero ir para&#8230; \u2014 I want to go to&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Voc\u00ea fala ingl\u00eas? \u2014 Do you speak English?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eu n\u00e3o falo portugu\u00eas \u2014 I don&#8217;t speak Portuguese<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pode repetir? \u2014 Can you repeat that?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mais devagar, por favor \u2014 More slowly, please<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eu n\u00e3o entendo \u2014 I don&#8217;t understand<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A conta, por favor \u2014 The bill, please<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tem Wi-Fi? \u2014 Do you have Wi-Fi?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aceita cart\u00e3o? \u2014 Do you accept card?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pode fazer um desconto? \u2014 Can you give a discount?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Estou perdido\/a \u2014 I&#8217;m lost<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preciso de ajuda \u2014 I need help<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Socorro! \u2014 Help!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chame a pol\u00edcia! \u2014 Call the police!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Estou doente \u2014 I&#8217;m sick<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sou al\u00e9rgico\/a a&#8230; \u2014 I&#8217;m allergic to&#8230;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Est\u00e1 delicioso! \u2014 It&#8217;s delicious!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Legal! \u2014 Cool! \/ Great!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tips for learning Portuguese before your trip<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don&#8217;t need months of study to prepare for a Brazil trip. Here are the most efficient approaches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Apps:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>YouTube:<\/strong> &#8220;Speaking Brazilian&#8221; and &#8220;Portugu\u00eas com Let\u00edcia&#8221; are two excellent free channels specifically teaching Brazilian Portuguese for real-life communication \u2014 not textbook-formal Portuguese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Music:<\/strong> Brazilian music is an extraordinary language learning tool. MPB (M\u00fasica Popular Brasileira), forr\u00f3, and samba are full of simple, repeated phrases at natural speaking speed. Look up lyrics while you listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical immersion:<\/strong> 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 \u2014 they will celebrate your attempts, not judge them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Practical travel tips for non-portuguese speakers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with the vocabulary in this guide, navigating Brazil without Portuguese requires some preparation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Download Google Translate offline.<\/strong> The app&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Save key addresses as text.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use a translation app for complex communication.<\/strong> For medical situations or important conversations, a translation app is more reliable than attempting complex phrases from memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn numbers above all else.<\/strong> Understanding prices, addresses, and phone numbers makes an enormous practical difference. Numbers are worth drilling more than any other vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more Brazil travel preparation, see our guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/what-to-pack-for-a-trip-to-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">what to pack for a trip to Brazil<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/what-to-wear-in-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">what to wear in Brazil<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/travel-hacks-for-visiting-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">travel hacks for visiting Brazil<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/travel-safety-in-brazil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">travel safety in Brazil<\/a>. For all our travel tips and guides, explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/category\/travel-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Do in Brazil travel tips section<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Getting around Brazil With your new portuguese skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With basic Portuguese under your belt, the next step is planning the logistics of your trip. For transport across Brazil&#8217;s vast distances, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcars.com\/en\/?requestorid=10269&amp;utm_source=doinbrazil.com&amp;utm_medium=afiliado-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Rentcars.com<\/a> lets you compare car rental rates from multiple suppliers across all major Brazilian cities and airports \u2014 ideal for road trips along the S\u00e3o Paulo coast, through the Northeast, or into the Serra Ga\u00facha highlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And before any international trip to Brazil, make sure you have travel insurance. <a href=\"https:\/\/safetywing.com\/?referenceID=26412799&amp;utm_source=26412799&amp;utm_medium=Ambassador\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">SafetyWing<\/a> offers flexible, affordable coverage from ~USD $42\/month, including medical emergencies across all of Brazil \u2014 remote destinations, cities, and everywhere in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are the most basic Portuguese words to learn before visiting Brazil?<\/strong> The most essential words are: ol\u00e1\/oi (hello), obrigado\/obrigada (thank you), por favor (please), sim\/n\u00e3o (yes\/no), quanto custa? (how much?), onde fica? (where is?), and socorro (help). With these seven, you can navigate most basic situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How do you say basic words in Portuguese?<\/strong> Key basics: yes = sim, no = n\u00e3o, please = por favor, thank you = obrigado (male) \/ obrigada (female), hello = ol\u00e1 or oi, goodbye = tchau, water = \u00e1gua, help = ajuda or socorro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are the most useful Portuguese phrases for tourists?<\/strong> The most practical phrases for tourists in Brazil are: <em>Onde fica&#8230;?<\/em> (Where is&#8230;?), <em>Quanto custa isso?<\/em> (How much does this cost?), <em>Voc\u00ea fala ingl\u00eas?<\/em> (Do you speak English?), <em>A conta, por favor<\/em> (The bill, please), <em>Tudo bem?<\/em> (How are you?), and <em>Pode repetir mais devagar?<\/em> (Can you repeat more slowly?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is Portuguese hard to learn for English speakers?<\/strong> Brazilian Portuguese is considered moderately difficult for English speakers \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Do people speak English in Brazil?<\/strong> English is spoken in upscale hotels, some tourist areas in major cities, and by younger urban Brazilians \u2014 but it&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is the difference between Brazilian and European Portuguese?<\/strong> 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., &#8220;bus&#8221; is <em>\u00f4nibus<\/em> in Brazil and <em>autocarro<\/em> in Portugal). For travel in Brazil specifically, learn Brazilian Portuguese \u2014 the pronunciation and some vocabulary differ enough that European Portuguese preparation can actually confuse things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ready to put your Portuguese to use? Explore our complete Brazil travel guides and start planning your trip at<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/\"><em> <\/em><em>doinbrazil.com<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you book through our links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend services we genuinely trust.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Basic Portuguese words and phrases every tourist needs in Brazil \u2014 greetings, restaurants, transport, emergencies, and more. With pronunciation guide.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[182,191],"class_list":["post-3790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-tips","tag-travel-hacks","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26-300x200.png",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",18,12,false],"ocean-thumb-m":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"ocean-thumb-ml":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false],"ocean-thumb-l":["https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/26.png",600,400,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Emilly Chagas","author_link":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/author\/hey123emmy123gmail-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Basic Portuguese words and phrases every tourist needs in Brazil \u2014 greetings, restaurants, transport, emergencies, and more. With pronunciation guide.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3790"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3791,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3790\/revisions\/3791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/doinbrazil.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}