Portuguese Phrases: Most Common Words for Everyday Life

Portuguese phrases with English translation, IPA pronunciation, and clear markers for European vs. Brazilian usage. Plus uniquely Portuguese words, café vocabulary, idioms, and traditional sayings you will actually hear in Portugal.

Portuguese phrases are the short expressions, greetings, and idioms that carry you through daily life. Order a coffee, greet a neighbour, apologise for stepping on someone’s toe on the metro, thank the waiter, count to twenty. This page gives you the essentials with English translations and IPA pronunciation, plus the uniquely Portuguese vocabulary you will not find in a general phrasebook.

Because this is a European Portuguese guide, we mark clearly where a phrase is standard across both variants and where Portugal and Brazil use different words. That difference matters: ordering breakfast as “café da manhã” in Lisbon gets you a polite look, ordering “pequeno-almoço” gets you breakfast.

Portuguese phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Portuguese

The core greetings below work in both Portugal and Brazil. Where the version below leans Brazilian (through “para você”), the European Portuguese usage note appears next to it.

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Welcome!	Bem-vindo! / Bem-vinda!	/bẽj̃ ˈvĩdu/ – /bẽj̃ ˈvĩdɐ/
Good morning	Bom dia	/bõ ˈdi.ɐ/ (EP) – /bõ ˈdʒi.ɐ/ (BP)
Good afternoon	Boa tarde	/ˈboɐ ˈtaɾdɨ/ (EP) – /ˈboɐ ˈtaɾdʒi/ (BP)
Good evening / Good night	Boa noite	/ˈboɐ ˈnojtɨ/ (EP) – /ˈboɐ ˈnojtʃi/ (BP)
Hello	Olá	/ɔˈla/
Hi (informal)	Oi (BP) / Olá (EP)	/oj/ – /ɔˈla/
Good to see you	Prazer em ver-te (EP, informal) / Prazer em vê-lo (EP, formal)	/pɾɐˈzeɾ ẽj̃ ˈveɾtɨ/

If you are greeted in Portuguese, useful responses:

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Have a nice day too!	Igualmente! / Um bom dia para si também! (EP, formal)	/iɡwɐlˈmẽtɨ/
Thanks, nice to see you too	Obrigado, prazer em ver-te também	/oβɾiˈɣadu pɾɐˈzeɾ ẽj̃ ˈveɾtɨ tɐ̃ˈbẽj̃/

How are you? Asking and answering

Note the pronoun split below: Portugal uses “tu” for informal address and “você” or “o senhor / a senhora” for formal. Brazil defaults to “você” for almost everything.

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
How are you? (EP, informal)	Como estás?	/ˈkomu ɨʃˈtaʃ/
How are you? (EP, formal)	Como está?	/ˈkomu ɨʃˈta/
How are you? (BP)	Como você está?	/ˈkõmu voˈse esˈta/
Are you okay?	Estás bem? (EP) / Você está bem? (BP)	/ɨʃˈtaʃ bẽj̃/ – /voˈse esˈta bẽj̃/
Thanks, I am fine	Obrigado, estou bem (male speaker) / Obrigada, estou bem (female speaker)	/oβɾiˈɣadu ɨʃˈto bẽj̃/
Not so well, thanks	Não estou lá muito bem, obrigado (EP)	/nɐ̃w̃ ɨʃˈto la ˈmũjtu bẽj̃/
And you?	E tu? (EP, informal) / E o senhor? (EP, formal) / E você? (BP)	/i tu/ – /i u sɨˈɲoɾ/

Please & Thank You in European Portuguese

European Portuguese (EP) handles politeness differently than most Western European languages. There is no clean one-to-one equivalent for “please”. Politeness is encoded in verb forms, conditional tenses, and fixed phrases. Getting this right separates a tourist from someone who actually knows the language.

Saying “Please”

In Portugal, the choice of “please” phrase signals not just politeness but also your relationship to the other person and the context you are in. Using the wrong register can come across as either too cold or unintentionally familiar.

Register	English	Portuguese (EP)	Pronunciation (IPA)	Notes
Casual	Please	Por favor	[puɾ fɐˈvoɾ]	Works in all registers, but used sparingly between close friends. Overusing it can ironically sound cold or transactional in informal settings.
Casual	Could you…? / Can you…?	Podes…?	[ˈpɔdɨʃ]	The tu form of poder. Standard casual request between peers, friends, and family. Never use with strangers or in formal contexts, switch to pode (você-form) immediately.
Formal	If you would be so kind / Please	Se faz favor / Se fizer favor	[sɨ ˈfaʃ fɐˈvoɾ] / [sɨ fiˈzeɾ fɐˈvoɾ]	Distinctly European Portuguese, common in shops, cafés, restaurants, and service contexts. Se faz favor is heard constantly in Lisbon and Porto. Also used to get someone’s attention (like “excuse me”).
Formal	Would you kindly…	Gostaria de pedir que…	[ɡuʃtɐˈɾiɐ dɨ pɨˈdiɾ kɨ]	Conditional tense is the clearest marker of formal register in EP. Used in official emails, written requests, and business correspondence. The conditionality itself signals deference.
Formal	Would you be able to…?	Poderia…?	[pudɨˈɾiɐ]	Conditional of poder, a step up in formality from pode. Safe with strangers, in professional settings, and whenever you are unsure which register to use. Rarely sounds excessive.
Regional	Here you go / Please, go ahead	Tome / Tome lá	[ˈtomɨ] / [ˈtomɨ ˈla]	Used when handing something to someone, particularly among older generations and in rural areas (Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes). Functions as “here you go” but carries a gentle, inviting politeness. The lá adds warmth.
Regional	Go ahead / Please (Azores)	Faça favor	[ˈfasɐ fɐˈvoɾ]	More common in the Azores and Madeira than on the mainland. Also heard from older speakers in northern Portugal. Slightly more formal-sounding than se faz favor.

Saying “Thank You”

Portuguese has a grammatical feature that catches almost every learner off guard: the word for “thank you” agrees with the speaker’s gender, not the person being thanked. A man always says obrigado, a woman always says obrigada, regardless of who helped them.

Register	English	Portuguese (EP)	Pronunciation (IPA)	Notes
Casual	Thanks	Brigado / Brigada	[bɾiˈɡadu] / [bɾiˈɡadɐ]	Shortened colloquial form of obrigado, common in informal speech. The dropped syllable signals familiarity. Heard frequently in Lisbon among younger speakers.
Casual	Thanks a lot	Muito obrigado / obrigada	[ˈmũitu obɾiˈɡadu]	Despite the muito (very much), this is used casually too. Context and tone determine register. Standard response after any helpful interaction.
Formal	Thank you (standard)	Obrigado / Obrigada	[obɾiˈɡadu] / [obɾiˈɡadɐ]	The baseline. Grammatically, it derives from the past participle of obrigar (to oblige), so it literally means “obliged”. Gender agreement with the speaker is mandatory. Saying obrigado as a woman is a clear marker of a non-native speaker.
Formal	I am very grateful	Fico muito grato / grata	[ˈfiku ˈmũitu ˈɡɾatu]	More formal and deliberate than obrigado. Used in professional contexts, formal letters, and speeches. Gender agreement still applies: grato (male), grata (female).
Formal	I sincerely thank you	Agradeço sinceramente	[ɐɡɾɐˈdɛsu sĩsɨˈɾɐmẽtɨ]	Verb-based gratitude, no gender agreement needed on the verb itself. Common in formal correspondence and official communication. Rarely spoken, mostly written.
Regional	Thanks / God bless (older/rural EP)	Deus lhe pague	[ˈdewʃ ʎɨ ˈpaɡɨ]	Literally “may God repay you”. Used by older generations, particularly in rural areas of the Alentejo, Minho, and interior Portugal. Completely sincere, not ironic. Rarely heard among urban or younger speakers.
Regional	Thanks (Azores / Madeira)	Obrigadinho / Obrigadinha	[obɾiˈɡadiɲu] / [obɾiˈɡadiɲɐ]	Diminutive form using the typical Portuguese -inho/-inha suffix. Adds warmth and affection to the thanks. More common on the islands than the mainland. Gender agreement still applies.

Cultural note: In Portugal, restraint is politeness. Being overly effusive with thanks, like repeating obrigado multiple times or adding excessive elaboration, can feel performative or insincere. A single obrigado with eye contact is entirely sufficient. The standard response is De nada (it is nothing) or, in slightly warmer contexts, Não tem de quê (do not mention it), the latter being distinctly European Portuguese and rarely used in Brazil.

Saying goodbye in Portuguese

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Goodbye	Adeus	/ɐˈdewʃ/ (EP) – /aˈdewʃ/ (BP)
Bye (casual)	Tchau	/tʃaw/
See you soon	Até logo	/ɐˈtɛ ˈlɔɡu/
See you tomorrow	Até amanhã	/ɐˈtɛ ɐmɐˈɲɐ̃/
See you later	Até mais tarde	/ɐˈtɛ majʃ ˈtaɾdɨ/
Take care of yourself	Cuida-te (EP, informal) / Cuide-se (BP)	/ˈkwidɐtɨ/ – /ˈkwidʒi si/
Sleep well	Dorme bem (EP, informal) / Durma bem (formal)	/ˈdɔɾmɨ bẽj̃/ – /ˈduɾmɐ bẽj̃/
Talk to you later	Falamos depois (EP)	/fɐˈlɐmuʃ dɨˈpojʃ/
Nice to have met you	Foi um prazer conhecer-te (EP, informal)	/foj ũ pɾɐˈzeɾ kuɲɨˈseɾtɨ/

Introducing yourself in Portuguese

Note: the classic “My name is…” construction differs between the two variants. Portugal uses the reflexive verb chamar-se (to call oneself), Brazil often uses Meu nome é.

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
My name is Ana (EP)	Chamo-me Ana	/ˈʃɐmumɨ ˈɐnɐ/
My name is Ana (BP)	Meu nome é Ana	/meʊ ˈnõmi ɛ ˈɐnɐ/
What is your name? (EP, informal)	Como te chamas?	/ˈkomu tɨ ˈʃɐmɐʃ/
What is your name? (EP, formal)	Como se chama?	/ˈkomu sɨ ˈʃɐmɐ/
What is your surname?	Qual é o teu apelido? (EP) / Qual é o seu sobrenome? (BP)	/kwaɫ ɛ u tew ɐpɨˈlidu/
Where are you from? (EP, informal)	De onde és?	/dɨ ˈõdɨ ɛʃ/
Where are you from? (EP, formal)	De onde é?	/dɨ ˈõdɨ ɛ/
I am from London	Sou de Londres	/so dɨ ˈlõdɾɨʃ/
Where do you live?	Onde moras? (EP, informal) / Onde vive? (EP, formal)	/ˈõdɨ ˈmɔɾɐʃ/
I live in Lisbon	Moro em Lisboa	/ˈmɔɾu ẽj̃ liʒˈboɐ/

If Portuguese still feels tricky, ask which languages the other person speaks:

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Do you speak English?	Fala inglês? (formal) / Falas inglês? (EP, informal)	/ˈfalɐ ĩˈɡleʃ/
Yes, I speak English	Sim, falo inglês	/sĩ ˈfalu ĩˈɡleʃ/
Yes, I speak some English	Sim, falo um pouco de inglês	/sĩ ˈfalu ũ ˈpoku dɨ ĩˈɡleʃ/
No, I do not speak English	Não, não falo inglês	/nɐ̃w̃ nɐ̃w̃ ˈfalu ĩˈɡleʃ/
I understand a little Portuguese	Entendo um pouco de português	/ẽˈtẽdu ũ ˈpoku dɨ puɾtuˈɡeʃ/

Useful sentences with “I am…”

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
I am English (male / female)	Sou inglês / Sou inglesa	/so ĩˈɡleʃ/ – /so ĩˈɡlezɐ/
I am hurt / injured	Estou magoado (EP) / Estou machucado (BP)	/ɨʃˈto mɐˈɡwadu/
I am here	Estou aqui	/ɨʃˈto ɐˈki/
I am hungry	Estou com fome (BP) / Tenho fome (EP)	/ˈtɐɲu ˈfɔmɨ/ (EP)
I am thirsty	Tenho sede (EP) / Estou com sede (BP)	/ˈtɐɲu ˈsedɨ/ (EP)
I am single	Sou solteiro / solteira	/so soɫˈtɐjɾu/
I need help	Preciso de ajuda	/pɾɨˈsizu dɨ ɐˈʒudɐ/
I am tired	Estou cansado / cansada	/ɨʃˈto kɐ̃ˈsadu/
I am happy	Estou feliz / Estou contente	/ɨʃˈto fɨˈliʃ/
I am sad	Estou triste	/ɨʃˈto ˈtɾiʃtɨ/
I am in love	Estou apaixonado / apaixonada	/ɨʃˈto ɐpɐjʃuˈnadu/
I am ill	Estou doente	/ɨʃˈto ˈdwẽtɨ/
I am ready	Estou pronto / pronta	/ɨʃˈto ˈpɾõtu/
I am busy	Estou ocupado / ocupada	/ɨʃˈto ɔkuˈpadu/
I am lost	Estou perdido / perdida	/ɨʃˈto pɨɾˈdidu/
I am a tourist	Sou turista	/so tuˈɾiʃtɐ/
I am new here	Sou novo por aqui / Sou nova por aqui	/so ˈnovu puɾ ɐˈki/
I am a teacher (male / female)	Sou professor / professora	/so pɾuˈfɨsoɾ/
I am running late	Estou atrasado / atrasada	/ɨʃˈto ɐtɾɐˈzadu/
I am 30 years old	Tenho 30 anos	/ˈtɐɲu ˈtɾĩtɐ ˈɐnuʃ/
I am in a hurry	Estou com pressa	/ɨʃˈto kõ ˈpɾɛsɐ/
I am surprised	Estou surpreendido / surpreendida	/ɨʃˈto suɾpɾiẽˈdidu/
I am angry	Estou zangado / zangada (EP) / Estou bravo (BP)	/ɨʃˈto zɐ̃ˈɡadu/

Apologising in Portuguese

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
I am sorry	Peço desculpa (EP) / Desculpa (informal) / Desculpe (formal)	/ˈpɛsu dɨʃˈkulpɐ/
Sorry, that was not the intention	Desculpe, não foi essa a intenção	/dɨʃˈkulpɨ nɐ̃w̃ foj ˈɛsɐ ɐ ĩtẽˈsɐ̃w̃/
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose	Desculpe, não fiz de propósito	/dɨʃˈkulpɨ nɐ̃w̃ fiʃ dɨ pɾuˈpɔzitu/
Sorry, that was clumsy of me	Desculpe, foi um descuido meu	/dɨʃˈkulpɨ foj ũ dɨʃˈkwidu mew/
Excuse me (to get attention)	Com licença / Se faz favor	/kõ liˈsẽsɐ/

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More information about the European Portuguese Language Course.

Uniquely Portuguese: Words with no clean English equivalent

Some Portuguese words carry meanings that no single English word captures. These are the words that give you real access to Portuguese culture and thinking, and they will not appear in a general “top 100 phrases” list.

Portuguese	Rough English	What it actually means
Saudade /sɐwˈdadɨ/	Longing, nostalgia, missing	A bittersweet longing for someone or something absent, often for a person, a place, a time. Central to Portuguese identity and the theme of most Fado music. There is no clean English translation because the word carries a specific melancholic warmth. Portuguese speakers will tell you it is untranslatable, and they are right.
Desenrascanço /dɨzẽʁɐʃˈkɐ̃su/	Improvised solution, MacGyvering	The Portuguese art of solving a problem with whatever is at hand, without the right tools, without proper preparation, and often with a shrug and a smile. A cultural virtue in Portugal. Doing a desenrascanço is respected, not laughed at.
Fado /ˈfadu/	Fate; also a music genre	Literally “fate”. Also the traditional Portuguese music genre expressing saudade, melancholy, and the acceptance of destiny. UNESCO listed Fado as intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
Sobremesa /sɔβɾɨˈmezɐ/	Dessert; also lingering after a meal	Dessert in a literal sense, but also the leisurely time spent chatting at the table after a meal has ended. A cultural marker of Portuguese hospitality.
Cafuné /kɐfuˈnɛ/	Running your fingers through someone’s hair	A tender, affectionate act, running fingers gently through a loved one’s hair. More commonly heard in Brazilian Portuguese but understood everywhere.
Fixe /ˈfiʃ/	Cool, nice, great	Uniquely European Portuguese. The all-purpose casual approval word. “Que fixe!” means “how cool!” Never used in Brazilian Portuguese, where you would say “legal” instead.
Giro / Gira /ˈʒiɾu/	Cute, nice, cool	Uniquely European Portuguese. Used for people, objects, situations. “Que giro!” is “how cute!” or “how nice!” In Brazilian Portuguese, giro just means “spin”.

Café and restaurant vocabulary in Portugal

Portugal has one of the most distinctive café cultures in Europe, and the vocabulary is very different from Brazil. Order the wrong word and you get either a polite correction or the wrong drink. Order the right word and you sound like you belong.

Portuguese	What you get	Pronunciation (IPA)
Bica (Lisbon)	A small espresso, the default coffee order in Portugal	/ˈbikɐ/
Cimbalino (Porto)	The same as a bica, named after the La Cimbali espresso machine. Ask for a cimbalino in Porto, a bica in Lisbon.	/sĩbɐˈlinu/
Café	Also refers to espresso in most Portuguese cafés. Safe order everywhere.	/kɐˈfɛ/
Meia de leite	Half coffee, half milk, served in a normal cup. The Portuguese equivalent of a large latte.	/ˈmɐjɐ dɨ ˈlɐjtɨ/
Galão	Milky coffee served in a tall glass. Roughly one-quarter espresso, three-quarters hot milk. Breakfast staple.	/ɡɐˈlɐ̃w̃/
Abatanado	Espresso lengthened with hot water, closer to an Americano.	/ɐβɐtɐˈnadu/
Imperial (Lisbon) / Fino (Porto)	A small draft beer (about 20 cl). Same drink, different name depending on which side of the country you order it in.	/ĩpɨˈɾjaɫ/ – /ˈfinu/
Pastel de nata	The famous Portuguese custard tart. Ask for one pastel, two pastéis. Never call it a “pastel de Belém” unless you are at the original Belém bakery.	/pɐʃˈtɛɫ dɨ ˈnatɐ/
Bifana	The classic Portuguese pork sandwich, marinated in wine and garlic. Under 3 € in most cafés. Order it with a fino or imperial.	/biˈfɐnɐ/
Prego	Beef sandwich, often served after a seafood meal to fill the gap. Traditional in Portuguese restaurants.	/ˈpɾɛɡu/
Bacalhau	Salt cod, the Portuguese national ingredient. Legend says there are 365 ways to prepare it.	/bɐkɐˈʎaw/
A conta, se faz favor	“The bill, please”. Standard phrase to ask for the check. Waiters in Portugal will not bring it until you ask.	/ɐ ˈkõtɐ sɨ faʃ fɐˈvoɾ/

Portuguese idiomatic expressions you will actually hear

Textbook Portuguese and everyday Portugal Portuguese sound different. These are the phrases that pepper real conversation in Lisbon, Porto, and everywhere in between. All uniquely or predominantly European Portuguese.

Portuguese	Literal meaning	Real meaning
Fixe! / Que fixe!	Fixed! / How fixed!	“Cool!” or “How cool!” The default approval word among Portuguese speakers of every age.
Que giro!	How spin!	“How cute!” or “How nice!” Used for people, gifts, situations, and moments.
Está tudo?	Is everything?	“How are things?” The most common informal greeting between Portuguese friends.
Não faz mal	It does no harm	“No problem” or “no worries”. A very Portuguese way to shrug off small inconveniences.
Isso é canja	That is chicken soup	“That is a piece of cake” or “that is easy”. Chicken soup being the traditional Portuguese comfort food.
Estar-se nas tintas	To be in the paints	“To not care at all” about something. Rougher: to not give a damn.
Ir com os porcos	To go with the pigs	“To die” or, more mildly, “to be finished”. A rural expression that has stayed in the modern language.
Ficar em águas de bacalhau	To end up in cod water	“To come to nothing” or “to fizzle out”. Something that started with promise and ended without result.
Estar a chover a potes	It is raining pots	“It is pouring rain”. The English equivalent is “raining cats and dogs”.

Traditional Portuguese sayings and proverbs

Provérbios are still heard in daily conversation across Portugal, especially from older speakers. Knowing a few of them signals real interest in the language and always earns a smile.

Portuguese	Literal meaning	English equivalent
Devagar se vai ao longe	Slowly one goes far	Slow and steady wins the race. The core Portuguese philosophy on patience.
Quem não arrisca não petisca	Who does not risk, does not snack	Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Petiscos being the Portuguese equivalent of tapas.
Cão que ladra não morde	A dog that barks does not bite	A barking dog does not bite. Same meaning, direct translation.
A cavalo dado não se olha o dente	You do not look at the tooth of a gift horse	Do not look a gift horse in the mouth. Universally understood in Portugal.
Mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois a voar	Better one bird in the hand than two flying	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Depois da tempestade vem a bonança	After the storm comes the calm	After the storm comes the calm. Common in modern usage as encouragement during hard times.

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Related: our full European Portuguese guide.

Useful signs and notices in Portuguese

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Entrance	Entrada	/ẽˈtɾadɐ/
Exit	Saída	/sɐˈidɐ/
Toilet / Restroom	Casa de banho (EP) / Banheiro (BP)	/ˈkazɐ dɨ ˈbɐɲu/ (EP)
Attention!	Atenção!	/ɐtẽˈsɐ̃w̃/
Police	Polícia	/puˈlisiɐ/
Emergency services	Serviços de emergência	/sɨɾˈvisuʃ dɨ imɨɾˈʒẽsiɐ/
Fire brigade	Bombeiros	/bõˈbɐjɾuʃ/
No entry	Entrada proibida	/ẽˈtɾadɐ pɾuiˈbidɐ/
Caution!	Cuidado!	/kwiˈdadu/
Video surveillance in operation	Videovigilância	/videuviʒiˈlɐ̃siɐ/

Numbers 1 to 25 in Portuguese

Number	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
1	Um / Uma	/ũ/ – /ˈũmɐ/
2	Dois / Duas	/dojʃ/ – /ˈduɐʃ/
3	Três	/tɾeʃ/
4	Quatro	/ˈkwatɾu/
5	Cinco	/ˈsĩku/
6	Seis	/sɐjʃ/
7	Sete	/ˈsɛtɨ/ (EP) – /ˈsɛtʃi/ (BP)
8	Oito	/ˈojtu/
9	Nove	/ˈnɔvɨ/ (EP)
10	Dez	/dɛʃ/
11	Onze	/ˈõzɨ/
12	Doze	/ˈdozɨ/
13	Treze	/ˈtɾezɨ/
14	Catorze (EP) / Quatorze (BP)	/kɐˈtoɾzɨ/
15	Quinze	/ˈkĩzɨ/
16	Dezasseis (EP) / Dezesseis (BP)	/dɨzɐˈsɐjʃ/
17	Dezassete (EP) / Dezessete (BP)	/dɨzɐˈsɛtɨ/
18	Dezoito	/dɨˈzojtu/
19	Dezanove (EP) / Dezenove (BP)	/dɨzɐˈnɔvɨ/
20	Vinte	/ˈvĩtɨ/
21	Vinte e um	/ˈvĩti ũ/
22	Vinte e dois	/ˈvĩti dojʃ/
23	Vinte e três	/ˈvĩti tɾeʃ/
24	Vinte e quatro	/ˈvĩti ˈkwatɾu/
25	Vinte e cinco	/ˈvĩti ˈsĩku/

The colours in Portuguese

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Red	Vermelho	/vɨɾˈmɐʎu/ (EP)
Blue	Azul	/ɐˈzuɫ/
Green	Verde	/ˈveɾdɨ/
Yellow	Amarelo	/ɐmɐˈɾɛlu/
Black	Preto	/ˈpɾetu/
White	Branco	/ˈbɾɐ̃ku/
Orange	Laranja	/lɐˈɾɐ̃ʒɐ/
Pink	Cor-de-rosa	/koɾ dɨ ˈʁɔzɐ/
Purple	Roxo	/ˈʁoʃu/
Grey	Cinzento	/sĩˈzẽtu/

Days of the week, months and seasons in Portuguese

A note on days: Portuguese days of the week follow the Christian liturgical numbering. Monday is segunda-feira (second day), Tuesday is terça-feira (third day), and so on. In casual speech, the -feira is often dropped: “vejo-te na quinta” (see you Thursday).

English	Portuguese	Phonetic Transcription (IPA)
Monday	Segunda-feira	/sɨˈɡũdɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/
Tuesday	Terça-feira	/ˈteɾsɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/
Wednesday	Quarta-feira	/ˈkwaɾtɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/
Thursday	Quinta-feira	/ˈkĩtɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/
Friday	Sexta-feira	/ˈsɐjʃtɐ ˈfɐjɾɐ/
Saturday	Sábado	/ˈsaβɐdu/
Sunday	Domingo	/duˈmĩɡu/
January	Janeiro	/ʒɐˈnɐjɾu/
February	Fevereiro	/fɨvɨˈɾɐjɾu/
March	Março	/ˈmaɾsu/
April	Abril	/ɐˈbɾiɫ/
May	Maio	/ˈmaju/
June	Junho	/ˈʒuɲu/
July	Julho	/ˈʒuʎu/
August	Agosto	/ɐˈɡoʃtu/
September	Setembro	/sɨˈtẽbɾu/
October	Outubro	/oˈtubɾu/
November	Novembro	/nuˈvẽbɾu/
December	Dezembro	/dɨˈzẽbɾu/
Spring	Primavera	/pɾimɐˈvɛɾɐ/
Summer	Verão	/vɨˈɾɐ̃w̃/
Autumn	Outono	/oˈtonu/
Winter	Inverno	/ĩˈvɛɾnu/

*

For a definitive reference on European Portuguese vocabulary and usage, the standard online dictionary in Portugal is Priberam Dicionário.

Frequently Asked Questions About Portuguese Phrases

Are these phrases European or Brazilian Portuguese?

Most of the greetings, numbers, colours, and days work in both variants. Where they differ, we mark them with (EP) for European Portuguese and (BP) for Brazilian. The uniquely Portuguese sections at the end, café vocabulary, idioms, sayings, are all European Portuguese specific.

Do I need to worry about “tu” vs “você”?

Yes, if you are learning for Portugal. Portugal uses “tu” for informal address (friends, family, kids, peers) and “você” or “o senhor / a senhora” for formal contexts. Brazil defaults to “você” almost everywhere. If you only learned “você”, you will sound distant or overly formal in a Lisbon café.

Why does obrigado change to obrigada?

Because it agrees with the speaker’s gender, not the person you are thanking. A man always says obrigado, a woman always says obrigada, regardless of who helped them. This catches almost every learner off guard.

What is the most useful Portuguese phrase for travellers to Portugal?

“Se faz favor” (please / excuse me). It is distinctly European Portuguese, works to get attention, to ask for something, and to say please. Portuguese people notice and appreciate it immediately.

Do Portuguese people speak English?

In Lisbon, Porto, and tourist areas, yes, widely. Outside those, less so. Even a few phrases in Portuguese changes how you are received, and Portuguese speakers are known for being generous with learners who make the effort.

What is saudade?

Saudade is a bittersweet longing for someone, somewhere, or some time now absent. There is no clean English translation because the word carries a specific melancholic warmth. It is central to Portuguese identity and to Fado music.

Related Learning Resources

Start here for the full picture:

• Learn European Portuguese: the complete guide
• Learn Portuguese with Babbel (honest review)
• Learn Portuguese with Mondly (review)

General language learning:

• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• Train your listening comprehension
• Learning languages quickly, is it possible?
• The different types of language learners