Brazilian Portuguese is the variety of Portuguese spoken in Brazil. European Portuguese (Luso) is not commonly well understood in Brazil, though the written language is much closer than the oral. Due to the wide distribution of Brazilian television programs to the rest of the Portuguese-speaking world, many speakers in the Eastern Hemisphere can converse with Brazilians without great difficulty.

Alphabet

The Portuguese alphabet (alfabeto) has 23 letters, plus 3 foreign ones. Accented vowels, cedillas (see below), diphthongs, digraphs (including ch), etc. do not count separately. The alphabet is a b c d e f g h i j l m n o p q r s t u v x z with additional characters á à â ã ç é ê í ó ô õ ú. By far the most common diphthong is ão. The alphabet, when pronounced, is similar to Spanish: á bê cê dê é efe gê agá i jota ele eme ene ó pê quê erre esse tê u vê xis zê. The letters k (ká/kápa), w (vê duplo/duplo vê/dábliu/dâbliu), and y (ípsilão/ípsilon) are usually used only in words of foreign origin. In Brazil, this includes most of the indigenous languages, as their writing was developed by German anthropologists. Words such as Kayapó, Wapishana, and Yanomami refer to the names of a few of these indigenous tribes.

Grammar

Written vs. spoken

In Brazil, spoken language can be very different from written language and official grammar, confusing non-native speakers. While slang (gíria) 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, Portuguese is a foreign language for Spanish speakers.

Gender, plurals, and adjectives

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).

Unlike most other Romance languages, Portuguese genderizes the names of many countries of the world, and also some cities in Portugal, (but mainly just 'o Rio de Janeiro' in Brazil). Surprisingly, Portugal itself has no gender, along with some of the Portuguese speaking countries in Africa.

Pronouns for "You"

These can be a little confusing, especially for those transitioning from other Romance languages to Brazilian Portuguese. Originally, você (Spanish usted; French vous) and the plural vocês were the formal "you," while tu and the plural vós were the informal, with all four having separate sets of verbs endings. Today in Brazil, vós is almost never used, and tu is used only in certain areas such as the Northeast (nordeste) and Rio Grande do Sul. In this case, it is often followed by the same verb endings as você. Thus, virtually all of Brazil does not use the verb endings for tu and vós (i.e. no 2nd person verbs), making it much easier to learn just the 1st and 3rd person. However, most Brazilians do use the informal reflexive pronoun te (based on tu and the same word as Spanish and French). 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.

Dropping the plural

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. Of course, todo mundo applies only to people, not things. Be careful outside Brazil where toda a gente is the same as todo mundo. Unfortunately, this isn't much of a short cut, 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 saying "As Casas" is spoken as "As Casa" but in written form, that is not accepted.

Other Pronouns

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

I

tu

You (Semi-formal, used only between friends and young people, or Informal, when a verb is conjugated incorrectly. Popularly used in Portugal as formal, but seldom used in Brazil.)

ele

he, it (m)

ela

she, it (f)

nós

we

(vós)

you — plural (Nowadays, not conjugated even in Portugal. Rarely used anywhere in Brazil.)

eles

they, them (mixed gender ok)

elas

they, them (all females/feminine)

Avoid confusion with third person possessives

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). Needless to say, this can all 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."

Verbs

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.

Pronunciation guide

Portuguese has both nasal vowels and reduced vowels. Nearly everyone struggles to learn them correctly (except, perhaps, fluent French speakers, but even they will have an accent). If you don't reduce the vowels, you will still be understood, but sound over-enunciating. If you don't nasalize the vowels, you can easily be misunderstood: mão means "hand", while mau means "bad." So, be extra careful not to ouch the ão sound. For starters, try something in between English no and now for não (which means English no). Start practicing with words whose preceding consonant doesn't have much lip movement. For example, não is easier than pão (bread). A good native pronunciation of this diphthong will take lots of listening and practice. The nasals are transcribed as "ng", but don't pronounce "ng" as a consonant.

Brazilian and Luso (European Portuguese) pronunciation differ, and within Brazil, there are regional differences as well. The Brazlian variant used here is generally based on the São Paulo pronunciation.

Vowels and accents

Nasal Vowels Like French, Portuguese has its share of nasal vowels. These are written in one of six ways: 1.) A tilde over the vowel: ã, õ (This is also the phonetic representation of the nasal vowel.) 2.) Any vowel followed by m at the end of a word 3.) Any vowel followed by n plus a consonant (except nh) 4.) Any vowel followed by m plus b or p 5.) The vowel â with the circumflex (stressed) 6.) The diphthong ui, if in the middle of a word Often, but not always, nasal vowels occur at the end of a word. Examples: 1.) irmã (non-verbs), cão (diphthong) 2.) andam (verbs only), viagem, ruim, bom, algum 3.) antes, mundo (but not ano, nulo, enorme, banho, etc.) 4.) caçamba, emprego, simples, combinar, penumbra 5.) lâmpada (but not você, avô, etc.) 6.) muito (slight nasalization)

Accentuation

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 détente (Nasal)

e

like set, say, or eight. At the end of words it is reduced to i.

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.

ó

like rock Note that o and ó are not the same vowel.

õ

like French sont (say "song" and drop the final consonant) (Nasal)

u

like soup or book

Consonants

Using the English "R" sound in the beginning of words can cause confusion. Use the English "H" sound (or the French R) 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". In some regions of Brazil (e.g. Rio) it is affricate before i   (like in dia sounding roughly like an English "j": "jeea"). Unlike Spanish, the d is always pronounced hard, even in between vowels

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.

ge     gi

like 'zh' as in Brezhnev and other East Slavic words.

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 'zh' as in Brezhnev and many East Slavic words.

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 "morning" or the (usually dropped) 'r' in British pronunciation.

...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")

Common diphthongs

Note: Two vowels together not listed as diphthongs usually means a syllable split. Example: ia in Bahia. 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   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   Brazilian city in the Amazon

ei

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

eu

the e vowel plus a w semivowel (no equivalent in English)     Europa   Europe

em

like reign     viagem   travel or journey (Nasal).

oi

like boy     oito   eight

om

same as õ     som   sound (Nasal)

ou

as in own   false diphthong   (pronounced the same as the Portuguese vowel 'O')     sou (so)   I am   Do not pronounce as "OY  " as in Spanish.

õe

nasal oi     ele põe   he puts (Nasal)

um

like room     algum some (Nasal)

Common digraphs

ch

like machine (sh sound) Note this is 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 (SHOU-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 (VEH-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

...nr...

the r is pronounced like help

• Example:

        honra (OH-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 sonorisation of the S between vowels.

• Example:

        assado (ah-SAHD-oh)   roasted

Phrase list

To ask a question in Portuguese use rising intonation to distinguish it from a statement. This will seem natural as English also uses rising intonation in questions, but Portuguese has no equivalent for Do...?, Did...?, Don't...?, etc.

Also, note in the following example that você (you) -- not tem (have) -- is the first word in the question. Without the question mark, it is no different than a statement. Reversing the first two words (as is often done in Spanish and English) is not allowed in Brazilian Portuguese.

Example

(Do) you have a battery for this?

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

Basics

Common signs OPEN ABERTO CLOSED FECHADO ENTRANCE ENTRADA EXIT SAÍDA (sah-EE-dah) PUSH EMPURRE PULL PUXE (CAUTION: sounds similar to English "PUSH") TOILET BANHEIRO / BANHO / PRIVADA (CAUTION: note final 'A') MEN HOMEM / MACHO WOMEN MULHER / FÊMEA FORBIDDEN PROIBIDO / PRIVADO / EMPREGADOS APENAS (employees only)

Good Day

Bom dia. (bon JEE-ah)

Hello. (informal)

Oi (oi)

Thank you. (said by a man)

Obrigado. (ob-ree-GAH-doo)

Thank you. (said by a woman)

Obrigada. (ob-ree-GAH-dah)

How are you?

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

How are you?

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 "Tudo bem/bon."

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

Tudo bem. (TOO-do BENG)

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 Brazil.

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)

I'm sorry.

Desculpe. (dees-KUL-pay)

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

Perdão. (pehr-DAWNG)

Goodbye (formal or permanent)

Adeus. (uh-DEOOS)

Goodbye (informal)

Tchau. (CHOW)

See you later

Até logo. (ah-TEH LOH-goh)

Be careful in other context, as logo literally means "soon"

I can't speak Portuguese [well].

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

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/en-TEN-doo)

Where is the toilet?

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

Problems

Leave me alone.

Deixe-me em paz. (DEY-sheh meh eng PAZH)

Don't touch me!

Não me toque! (NOWNG meh TOH-keh!)

I'll call the police.

Eu chamo a polícia. (AY-oo SHAH-moo a poh-LEE-see-ah)

Police!

Polícia! (poh-LEE-see-ah!)

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/da. (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-AYNT (Port.) / doo-AYN-chee (Brazil))

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?)

Numbers

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 (meel)

2000

dois mil (doyss meel)

1,000,000

milhão (meel-YOWNG)

1.000.000.000

milhar de milhão (lit. a thousand millions; not bilião, bilhão)

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

número _____ (NU-may-ro)

half

metade (me-TAHD-jee)

less

menos (MEH-noos)

more

mais (mighs)

Time

now

agora (ah-GOH-rah)

later

depois (deh-POYS)

before

antes de (ANches jee)

morning

manhã (mah-NYAHNG)

afternoon

tarde (TAHR-jee)

evening

Use afternoon ("tarde") for early evening, and night ("noite") for late evening. Unlike English, "boa noite" is used as an initial greeting and not just to say goodbye.

night

noite (NOI-tchee)

Clock time

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 ]jeeah])

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)

Duration

_____ 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)

Days

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)

Months

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 (Oh-TOO-broo)

November

Novembro (Noo-VEM-broo)

December

Dezembro (D'ZEM-broo)

Writing Time and Date

21 September 2005 (UK)/September 21, 2005 (USA) 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 or period. The 24-hour clock is often used.

Colors

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)

Transportation

car

carro (KAH-roh),

taxi

táxi (TAHK-see)

bus

ônibus (ow-NEE-boos)

van

furgão (FOOR-gown)

truck

caminhão (kah-MEE-nyown)

trolley

carrinho (kah-REE-nyoo)

tram

electrico (eh-LEHK-tree-koh)

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-vyown)

airline

linha aérea (LEE-nyah ah-EH-reh-ah)

bicycle

bicicleta (bee-see-KLEH-tah)

motorcycle

motocicleta (moh-toh-see-KLEH-tah)

carriage

carruagem (kah-RWAH-zhehm)

Bus and Train

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_____?)

Directions

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(Br.)? (AH ehs-tah-SOWN dje trehm?)

...the bus station?

...à estação de ônibus(Br.)? (ah ehs-tah-SOWN dje OH-nee-boos)

...the airport?

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

...downtown?

...ao centro(Br.)? (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 direcção 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)

Taxi

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)

Lodging

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?

...uma banheira? (oo-mah bah-NYAY-rah?)

...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 pequeno-almoço/ceia está incluído/a? (...)

What time is breakfast/supper?

A que horas é o pequeno-almoço/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. (...)

Money

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)

Can you change a Traveler's Cheque for me?

Pode trocar-me um cheque de viagem (or ... um Traveler's Cheque)? (...)

Where can I get a Traveler's Cheque changed?

Onde posso trocar um cheque de viagem (or ... um Traveler's Cheque)? (...)

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 Multibanco? (ON-jee ah omm MultiBANcu)

Eating

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-dose (MEY-a dohz)

full portion

uma dose (OO-mah dohz)

fixed-price meal

refeição de preço fixo (...)

à la carte

a la carte (...)

breakfast

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

lunch

almoço (...)

tea (meal)

lanche (...)

supper

jantar (...)

fruit-and-vegetable store

sacolão (sah-koh-LOWN)

bread store

padaria (pah-dah-REE-ah)

I want _____.

Quero _____. (...)

I want a dish containing _____.

Quero um prato de _____. (...)

chicken

In Brazil: frango(...)

beef

bife (...)

fish

peixe (peysh)

snake

cobra (...)

• Note that all snakes are called "cobra" (and what we call "cobras" don't live in Brazil or Port. Africa)

ham

In Brazil: presunto (pre-ZOON-too)

sausage

salsicha (...)

cheese

queijo (KAY-zhoo)

eggs

ovos (...)

salad

salada (...)

barbecue/roasted meat

churrasco (...)

(fresh) vegetables

vegetais (frescos)(...)

(fresh) fruit

fruta (fresca) (...)

pineapple

In Brazil: 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

In Brazil: caqui (kah-KEE)

strawberry

morango (moh-RAHNG-goo)

bread

pão (powng), pl. pães (pighngsh)

toast

torrada (...)

noodles

massa (...)

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

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

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(...)

tea (drink)

chá (...)

juice

In Brazil: suco (SOO-koh)
In Portugal: sumo (SOO-moo)

(bubbly) water

água com gás (...)

water

água (AH-gwah)

beer

cerveja (ser-VAY-zhah)

yerba mate

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

red/white wine

vinho tinto/branco (...)

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 dar _____? (...)

salt

sal (sahl)

black pepper

pimenta negra (...)

butter

manteiga (mahn-TAY-gah)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

Desculpe, garçom? (...)

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. (...)

Bars

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. (...)

whiskey

whisky (wiss-kee)

vodka

vodka (...)

rum

rum (room)

Brazilian national drink (sugar cane brandy)

cachaça (kah-SHAH-sah)

water

água (AH-gwah)

club soda

club soda (...)

tonic water

água tónica (...)

orange juice (Port.)

sumo de laranja (SOO-moo duh lah-RAHN-zhah)

orange juice (Brazil)

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

Coke (soda)

Coca-Cola (...), or Coca

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 fecham? (...)

Shopping

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?

Dá-me 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.

...champô. (...)

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

...aspirina. (...)

...cold medicine.

...remédio para resfriado. (...)

...stomach medicine.

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

...a razor.

...uma lâmina. (...)

...an umbrella.

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

...sunblock lotion.

...protector 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. (...)

Driving

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

sentido único (...)

yield

preferencia (...)

no parking

estacionamento proibido (...)

speed limit

limite de velocidade (...)

gas (petrol) station

posto de gasolina (...')

petrol

gasolina (...)

diesel

gasóleo/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

freio de pé (...)

brakes (in general)

breques (...)

alternator

alternador (...)

fan belt

correia de ventilador (...)

radiator

radiador (hah-jee-AH-dor)

Authority

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? (...)