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! Bem-vindo! /bẽj̃ ˈvĩdu/
Good day to you! Bom dia para você! /bõ ˈdʒiɐ ˈpaɾɐ voˈse/
Good morning to you! Bom dia para você! /bõ ˈdʒiɐ ˈpaɾɐ voˈse/
Good evening! Boa noite! /ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/
Good to see you. Bom te ver. /bõ tʃi veɾ/
I’m glad to see you. 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! Tenha um bom dia também! /ˈteɲɐ ũ bõ ˈdʒiɐ tãˈbẽj̃/
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. 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? Como você está? /ˈkõmu voˈse esˈtɐ/
Are you doing well? 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. Obrigado por perguntar, eu estou bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu poɾ peɾɡunˈtaɾ, eʊ esˈtoʊ bẽj̃/
Thank you, I am fine. Obrigado, eu estou bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu, eʊ esˈtoʊ bẽj̃/
Thank you, I am not doing so well. Obrigado, eu não estou muito bem. /oˈbɾigaˌdu, eʊ nãʊ esˈtoʊ ˈmuito bẽj̃/
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? 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! Até logo! /aˈte ˈloɡu/
Take care of yourself! Cuide-se! /ˈkuidʒi si/
Goodbye Até logo /aˈte ˈloɡu/
See you tomorrow Até amanhã /aˈte amãˈɲã/
See you soon Até logo /aˈte ˈloɡu/
See you later Até mais tarde /aˈte majʃ ˈtaɾdʒi/
Good night Boa noite /ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/
Sleep well Durma bem /ˈduʁmɐ bẽj̃/
Talk to you later. Falo com você mais tarde. /ˈfaɫu kõ voˈse majʃ ˈtaɾdʒi/
Nice to have met you! 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? Qual é o seu nome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ ˈnõmi/
What is your surname? Qual é o seu sobrenome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ soˈbɾeˌnõmi/
What is your first name? Qual é o seu primeiro nome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ pɾiˈmeɾu ˈnõmi/
What is your surname? Qual é o seu sobrenome? /kwaw ɛ ũ seʊ soˈbɾeˌnõmi/

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? 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? 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. Eu estou machucado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ maʃuˈkaðu/
I am here. Eu estou aqui. /eʊ esˈtoʊ aˈki/
I am hungry. Eu estou com fome. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ ˈfõmi/
I am thirsty. Eu estou com sede. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ ˈseʒi/
I am a single person. Eu sou uma pessoa solteira. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ peˈsoɐ soʊlˈtejɾɐ/
I need help! Eu preciso de ajuda! /eʊ pɾeˈsizu dʒi aˈʒuda/
I am tired. Eu estou cansado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kãˈsadu/
I am happy. Eu estou feliz. /eʊ esˈtoʊ feˈliz/
I am sad. Eu estou triste. /eʊ esˈtoʊ ˈtɾisti/
I am in love. Eu estou apaixonado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ apajʃoˈnadu/
I am ill. Eu estou doente. /eʊ esˈtoʊ dwẽˈtʃi/
I am ready. Eu estou pronto. /eʊ esˈtoʊ ˈpɾõtu/
I am busy. Eu estou ocupado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ okuˈpaðu/
I am lost. Eu estou perdido. /eʊ esˈtoʊ peˈʁdʒidu/
I am a tourist. Eu sou um turista. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ tuˈɾista/
I am new here. Eu sou novo aqui. /eʊ soʊ ˈnoːvu aˈki/
I am confident. Eu estou confiante. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõˈfjãtʃi/
I am proud. Eu estou orgulhoso. /eʊ esˈtoʊ oʁɡuˈʎozu/
I am a teacher. Eu sou um professor. /eʊ soʊ ˈũmɐ pɾofeˈsoɾ/
I am late. Eu estou atrasado. /eʊ esˈtoʊ atɾaˈzadu/
I am 30 years old. Eu tenho 30 anos. /eʊ ˈteɲɐʊ ˈtɾĩtɐ ˈɐ̃nus/
I am in a hurry. Eu estou com pressa. /eʊ esˈtoʊ kõ pɾeˈsɐ/
I am happy. Eu estou feliz. /eʊ esˈtoʊ feˈliz/
I am surprised. Eu estou surpreso. /eʊ esˈtoʊ suʁˈpɾezu/
I am angry. 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. Peço desculpa. /ˈpɛsu dʒisˈkulpa/
Sorry, that was not the intention. Desculpe, isso não foi a intenção. /dʒisˈkulpi, ˈisu nãʊ fɔj a ĩtẽˈsãʊ/
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. Desculpe, eu não fiz isso de propósito. /dʒisˈkulpi, eʊ nãʊ fɪz ˈisu dʒi pɾoˈpɔzitu/
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. 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 Entrada /ẽˈtɾadɐ/
Toilet Toalete /twalɛtʃi/
Exit Saída /saˈidɐ/
Attention! Atenção! /ɐtẽˈsãʊ/
Police Polícia /poˈlisjɐ/
Emergency services Serviços de emergência /seʁˈvisuʃ dʒi emeʁˈʒẽsijɐ/
Fire brigade Bombeiros /bõˈbeɾuʃ/
Passage forbidden. Passagem proibida. /paˈsaʒẽj̃ pɾoɪˈbida/
Caution! Cuidado! /kwiˈðadu/
This building is under video surveillance. 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 Um /ũ/
2 Dois /dojʃ/
3 Três /tɾeiz/
4 Quatro /ˈkwatɾu/
5 Cinco /ˈsĩku/
6 Seis /seiz/
7 Sete /ˈsɛtʃi/
8 Oito /ˈojtu/
9 Nove /ˈnɔvi/
10 Dez /deiz/
11 Onze /ˈɔ̃zi/
12 Doze /ˈdozi/
13 Treze /ˈtɾezi/
14 Quatorze /kaˈtoɾzi/
15 Quinze /ˈkĩzi/
16 Dezesseis /dezɛˈseiz/
17 Dezessete /dezɛˈsetʃi/
18 Dezoito /deˈzɔjtu/
19 Dezenove /dezɛˈnɔvi/
20 Vinte /ˈvĩtʃi/
21 Vinte e um /ˈvĩtʃi i ũ/
22 Vinte e dois /ˈvĩtʃi i dojs/
23 Vinte e três /ˈvĩtʃi i tɾeiz/
24 Vinte e quatro /ˈvĩtʃi i ˈkwatɾu/
25 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 Vermelho /veʁˈmeʎu/
Blue Azul /aˈzul/
Green Verde /ˈveʁdʒi/
Yellow Amarelo /amaˈɾɛlu/
Black Preto /ˈpɾetu/
White Branco /ˈbɾãku/
Orange Laranja /laˈɾãʒɐ/
Pink Rosa /ˈʁɔzɐ/
Purple Roxo /ˈʁoʃu/
Gray 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 Segunda-feira /seˈɡũdɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Tuesday Terça-feira /ˈteʁsɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Wednesday Quarta-feira /ˈkwaʁtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Thursday Sexta-feira /ˈseʃtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Friday Sexta-feira /ˈseʃtɐ ˈfeɾɐ/
Saturday Sábado /ˈsaβɐdu/
Sunday Domingo /doˈmĩɡu/
January Janeiro /ʒaˈneɾu/
February Fevereiro /feveˈɾeɾu/
March Março /ˈmaʁsu/
April Abril /aˈbɾiw/
May Maio /ˈmaju/
June Junho /ˈʒuɲu/
July Julho /ˈʒuʎu/
August Agosto /aˈɡoʃtu/
September Setembro /seˈtẽbɾu/
October Outubro /oˈtubɾu/
November Novembro /noˈvẽbɾu/
December Dezembro /deˈzẽbɾu/
Spring Primavera /pɾiˈmaˈveɾɐ/
Summer Verão /veˈɾãʊ/
Autumn Outono /oˈtoʊnu/
Winter 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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