Portuguese phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Portuguese phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Portuguese with translation. | Free & useful

Portuguese phrases - Most common phrases for everyday life

Portuguese phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Portuguese culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Portuguese phrases you should know

OUR TIP: If you want to learn these phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Portuguese phrases and dialogues today.

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Greet someone in Portuguese

If you want to greet someone in Portuguese, it’s actually quite easy:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Welcome! in Portuguese Bem-vindo! /bẽj̃ ˈvĩdu/
Good day to you! in Portuguese Bom dia para você! /bõ ˈdʒiɐ ˈpaɾɐ voˈse/
Good morning to you! in Portuguese Bom dia para você! /bõ ˈdʒiɐ ˈpaɾɐ voˈse/
Good evening! in Portuguese Boa noite! /ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/
Good to see you. in Portuguese Bom te ver. /bõ tʃi veɾ/
I’m glad to see you. in Portuguese Fico feliz em te ver. /ˈfiku feˈliz ẽj̃ tʃi veɾ/

If you are greeted in Portuguese, the best way to respond is as follows:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Have a nice day too! in Portuguese Tenha um bom dia também! /ˈteɲɐ ũ bõ ˈdʒiɐ tãˈbẽj̃/
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Portuguese Obrigado, é bom te ver também. /oˈbɾigaˌdu, ɛ bõ tʃi veɾ tãˈbẽj̃/

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
How are you doing? in Portuguese Como você está? /ˈkõmu voˈse esˈtɐ/
Are you doing well? in Portuguese Você está bem? /voˈse esˈtɐ bẽj̃/

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Thank you for asking, I am fine. in Portuguese Obrigado por perguntar, eu estou bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu poɾ peɾɡunˈtaɾ, eʊ esˈtoʊ bẽj̃/
Thank you, I am fine. in Portuguese Obrigado, eu estou bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu, eʊ esˈtoʊ bẽj̃/
Thank you, I am not doing so well. in Portuguese Obrigado, eu não estou muito bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu, eʊ nãʊ esˈtoʊ ˈmuito bẽj̃/
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? in Portuguese Obrigado, estou bem. Como você está? /oˈbɾigaˌdu, esˈtoʊ bẽj̃. ˈkõmu voˈse esˈtɐ/

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How do I say goodbye to someone in Portuguese?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Portuguese is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Goodbye! in Portuguese Até logo! /aˈte ˈloɡu/
Take care of yourself! in Portuguese Cuide-se! /ˈkuidʒi si/
See you tomorrow in Portuguese Até amanhã /aˈte amãˈɲã/
See you soon in Portuguese Até logo /aˈte ˈloɡu/
See you later in Portuguese Até mais tarde /aˈte majʃ ˈtaɾdʒi/
Good night in Portuguese Boa noite /ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/
Sleep well in Portuguese Durma bem /ˈduʁmɐ bẽj̃/
Talk to you later. in Portuguese Falo com você mais tarde. /ˈfaɫu kõ voˈse majʃ ˈtaɾdʒi/
Nice to have met you! in Portuguese Foi um prazer em conhecê-lo! /foj ũ pɾaˈzeɾ ẽj̃ koɲeˈseʎu/

How do I introduce myself in Portuguese?

When travelling in Portugal, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Portuguese and know who you’re talking to.

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
My name is Jonas. Meu nome é Jonas. /meʊ ˈnõmi ɛ ˈʒoːnɐs/
What is your name? in Portuguese Qual é o seu nome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ ˈnõmi/
What is your surname? in Portuguese Qual é o seu sobrenome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ soˈbɾeˌnõmi/
What is your first name? in Portuguese Qual é o seu primeiro nome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ pɾiˈmeɾu ˈnõmi/

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Where do you come from? in Portuguese De onde você é? /dʒi ˈõdʒi voˈse ɛ/
I am from London. Eu sou de Londres. /eʊ soʊ dʒi ˈlõdɾis/
Are you from Birmingham? Você é de Birmingham? /voˈse ɛ dʒi ˈbɾiːmɪŋəm/
No, I’m from Madrid. Não, eu sou de Madrid. /nãʊ, eʊ soʊ dʒi maˈdɾid/
Great, I’m from Madrid too. Ótimo, eu sou de Madrid também. /ˈɔtʃimu, eʊ soʊ dʒi maˈdɾid tãˈbẽj̃/
Where do you live? in Portuguese Onde você mora? /ˈõdʒi voˈse ˈmoɾɐ/
I live in Berlin. Eu moro em Berlim. /eʊ ˈmoɾu ẽj̃ beʁˈlĩ/

If you have problems with your Portuguese, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Do you speak English? Você fala inglês? /voˈse ˈfaɫɐ ĩˈɡɾejs/
Yes, I speak English. Sim, eu falo inglês. /sĩ, eʊ ˈfaɫu ĩˈɡɾejs/
Yes, I speak some English. Sim, eu falo um pouco de inglês. /sĩ, eʊ ˈfaɫu ũ ˈpoʊku dʒi ĩˈɡɾejs/
No, I do not speak any English. Não, eu não falo nenhum inglês. /nãʊ, eʊ nãʊ ˈfaɫu nẽˈɯ ĩˈɡɾejs/
I only speak English. Eu só falo inglês. /eʊ sɔ ˈfaɫu ĩˈɡɾejs/
I understand some Portuguese. Eu entendo um pouco de português. /eʊ ẽˈtẽdu ũ ˈpoʊku dʒi poɾtuˈɡejs/

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Portuguese and express your wishes and concerns:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
I am English. Eu sou inglês. /eʊ soʊ ĩˈɡɾejs/
I am injured. in Portuguese Eu estou machucado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ maʃuˈkaðu/
I am here. in Portuguese Eu estou aqui. /eʊ esˈtoʊ aˈki/
I am hungry. in Portuguese Eu estou com fome. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ ˈfõmi/
I am thirsty. in Portuguese Eu estou com sede. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ ˈseʒi/
I am a single person. in Portuguese Eu sou uma pessoa solteira. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ peˈsoɐ soʊlˈtejɾɐ/
I need help! in Portuguese Eu preciso de ajuda! /eʊ pɾeˈsizu dʒi aˈʒuda/
I am tired. in Portuguese Eu estou cansado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kãˈsadu/
I am happy. in Portuguese Eu estou feliz. /eʊ esˈtoʊ feˈliz/
I am sad. in Portuguese Eu estou triste. /eʊ esˈtoʊ ˈtɾisti/
I am in love. in Portuguese Eu estou apaixonado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ apajʃoˈnadu/
I am ill. in Portuguese Eu estou doente. /eʊ esˈtoʊ dwẽˈtʃi/
I am ready. in Portuguese Eu estou pronto. /eʊ esˈtoʊ ˈpɾõtu/
I am busy. in Portuguese Eu estou ocupado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ okuˈpaðu/
I am lost. in Portuguese Eu estou perdido. /eʊ esˈtoʊ peˈʁdʒidu/
I am a tourist. in Portuguese Eu sou um turista. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ tuˈɾista/
I am new here. in Portuguese Eu sou novo aqui. /eʊ soʊ ˈnoːvu aˈki/
I am confident. in Portuguese Eu estou confiante. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõˈfjãtʃi/
I am proud. in Portuguese Eu estou orgulhoso. /eʊ esˈtoʊ oʁɡuˈʎozu/
I am a teacher. in Portuguese Eu sou um professor. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ pɾofeˈsoɾ/
I am late. in Portuguese Eu estou atrasado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ atɾaˈzadu/
I am 30 years old. in Portuguese Eu tenho 30 anos. /eʊ ˈteɲɐʊ ˈtɾĩtɐ ˈɐ̃nus/
I am in a hurry. in Portuguese Eu estou com pressa. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ pɾeˈsɐ/
I am happy. in Portuguese Eu estou feliz. /eʊ esˈtoʊ feˈliz/
I am surprised. in Portuguese Eu estou surpreso. /eʊ esˈtoʊ suʁˈpɾezu/
I am angry. in Portuguese Eu estou com raiva. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ ˈʁaivɐ/

Apologising in Portuguese

Here’s how to apologise to a Portuguese speaker:

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
I apologise. in Portuguese Peço desculpa. /ˈpɛsu dʒisˈkulpa/
Sorry, that was not the intention. in Portuguese Desculpe, isso não foi a intenção. /dʒisˈkulpi, ˈisu nãʊ fɔj a ĩtẽˈsãʊ/
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. in Portuguese Desculpe, eu não fiz isso de propósito. /dʒisˈkulpi, eʊ nãʊ fɪz ˈisu dʒi pɾoˈpɔzitu/
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. in Portuguese Desculpe, isso foi muito desajeitado de minha parte. /dʒisˈkulpi, ˈisu fɔj ˈmũjtu dɛzaʒeˈitadu dʒi ˈmiɲɐ ˈpaɾtʃi/

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Useful signs and notices in Portuguese

Useful signs and messages in Portuguese that you will often see.

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Entrance in Portuguese Entrada /ẽˈtɾadɐ/
Toilet in Portuguese Toalete /twalɛtʃi/
Exit in Portuguese Saída /saˈidɐ/
Attention! in Portuguese Atenção! /ɐtẽˈsãʊ/
Police in Portuguese Polícia /poˈlisjɐ/
Emergency services in Portuguese Serviços de emergência /seʁˈvisuʃ dʒi emeʁˈʒẽsijɐ/
Fire brigade in Portuguese Bombeiros /bõˈbeɾuʃ/
Passage forbidden. in Portuguese Passagem proibida. /paˈsaʒẽj̃ pɾoɪˈbida/
Caution! in Portuguese Cuidado! /kwiˈðadu/
This building is under video surveillance. in Portuguese Este edifício está sob vigilância por vídeo. /ˈɛʃtʃi ɛdʒiˈfisiu esˈtaʊ sob viʒiˈlɐ̃sijɐ poɾ ˈvidʒiu/

Numbers to 25 in Portuguese

Counting in Portuguese is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Portuguese from 1 to 25.

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
1 in Portuguese Um /ũ/
2 in Portuguese Dois /dojʃ/
3 in Portuguese Três /tɾeiz/
4 in Portuguese Quatro /ˈkwatɾu/
5 in Portuguese Cinco /ˈsĩku/
6 in Portuguese Seis /seiz/
7 in Portuguese Sete /ˈsɛtʃi/
8 in Portuguese Oito /ˈojtu/
9 in Portuguese Nove /ˈnɔvi/
10 in Portuguese Dez /deiz/
11 in Portuguese Onze /ˈɔ̃zi/
12 in Portuguese Doze /ˈdozi/
13 in Portuguese Treze /ˈtɾezi/
14 in Portuguese Quatorze /kaˈtoɾzi/
15 in Portuguese Quinze /ˈkĩzi/
16 in Portuguese Dezesseis /dezɛˈseiz/
17 in Portuguese Dezessete /dezɛˈsetʃi/
18 in Portuguese Dezoito /deˈzɔjtu/
19 in Portuguese Dezenove /dezɛˈnɔvi/
20 in Portuguese Vinte /ˈvĩtʃi/
21 in Portuguese Vinte e um /ˈvĩtʃi i ũ/
22 in Portuguese Vinte e dois /ˈvĩtʃi i dojs/
23 in Portuguese Vinte e três /ˈvĩtʃi i tɾeiz/
24 in Portuguese Vinte e quatro /ˈvĩtʃi i ˈkwatɾu/
25 in Portuguese Vinte e cinco /ˈvĩtʃi i ˈsĩku/

The colours in Portuguese

The most common colours in Portuguese with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Red in Portuguese Vermelho /veʁˈmeʎu/
Blue in Portuguese Azul /aˈzul/
Green in Portuguese Verde /ˈveʁdʒi/
Yellow in Portuguese Amarelo /amaˈɾɛlu/
Black in Portuguese Preto /ˈpɾetu/
White in Portuguese Branco /ˈbɾãku/
Orange in Portuguese Laranja /laˈɾãʒɐ/
Pink in Portuguese Rosa /ˈʁɔzɐ/
Purple in Portuguese Roxo /ˈʁoʃu/
Gray in Portuguese Cinza /ˈsĩzɐ/

Days of the week, months and seasons in Portuguese

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Portuguese and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Portuguese.

English Portuguese Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Monday in Portuguese Segunda-feira /seˈɡũdɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Tuesday in Portuguese Terça-feira /ˈteʁsɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Wednesday in Portuguese Quarta-feira /ˈkwaʁtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Thursday in Portuguese Sexta-feira /ˈseʃtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Friday in Portuguese Sexta-feira /ˈseʃtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Saturday in Portuguese Sábado /ˈsaβɐdu/
Sunday in Portuguese Domingo /doˈmĩɡu/
January in Portuguese Janeiro /ʒaˈneɾu/
February in Portuguese Fevereiro /feveˈɾeɾu/
March in Portuguese Março /ˈmaʁsu/
April in Portuguese Abril /aˈbɾiw/
May in Portuguese Maio /ˈmaju/
June in Portuguese Junho /ˈʒuɲu/
July in Portuguese Julho /ˈʒuʎu/
August in Portuguese Agosto /aˈɡoʃtu/
September in Portuguese Setembro /seˈtẽbɾu/
October in Portuguese Outubro /oˈtubɾu/
November in Portuguese Novembro /noˈvẽbɾu/
December in Portuguese Dezembro /deˈzẽbɾu/
Spring in Portuguese Primavera /pɾiˈmaˈveɾɐ/
Summer in Portuguese Verão /veˈɾãʊ/
Autumn in Portuguese Outono /oˈtoʊnu/
Winter in Portuguese Inverno /ĩˈveʁnu/

OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Portuguese phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Portuguese phrases and dialogues.

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