Language/Portuguese/Vocabulary/Basic-Phrases

Portuguese Vocabulary → Unit 1: Greetings and Basic Phrases → Basic Phrases

Greetings, everyone! Getting started with a new language can be quite daunting, but fear not! As a Portuguese language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am here to help you learn the basics of Portuguese. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Portuguese Course," and in this unit, we will cover greetings and basic phrases. This unit is designed for complete beginners, and by the end of it, you will be able to greet people, introduce yourself and talk about common situations like ordering food, asking for directions, or buying tickets.

Let's begin with the basics, shall we?

Greetings

First impressions are important, and learning how to greet people in Portuguese is an essential part of communicating in this beautiful language. Here are some Portuguese greetings that you can learn:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Olá	oh-LAH	Hello
Bom dia	bown DEE-uh	Good morning
Boa tarde	bown TAR-deh	Good afternoon
Boa noite	bown NOY-teh	Good evening/night
Tchau	chow	Bye
Adeus	ah-DEH-oosh	Goodbye

It's also important to know how to introduce yourself. Here's an example:

Eu sou [name]. (eh-ooh soh [name]) - I am [name].

Basic Phrases

In this section, we will cover some basic Portuguese phrases that can help you in common situations.

Ordering Food

When you're in a restaurant or a cafe, and you're ready to order, these phrases can come in handy:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Eu quero...	eh-ooh KEH-roo...	I want...
Por favor	pohr fah-VOHR	Please
O cardápio, por favor	oh kahr-DUH-pee-oh, pohr fah-VOHR	The menu, please
A conta, por favor	ah KOHN-tah, pohr fah-VOHR	The bill/check, please
O garçom/a garçonete, por favor	oh gahr-SOHM/ah gahr-soh-NEH-teh, pohr fah-VOHR	The waiter/waitress, please
Onde fica o banheiro?	OHn-deh FEE-ka oh bahn-YEH-roh?	Where is the restroom?
Água sem gás	AH-gwah sehng gahz	Water without gas

Asking for Directions

If you're lost, or you need help finding your way, here are some phrases that can help:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Desculpe, você pode me ajudar?	dehs-KOOL-peh, voh-SEH POH-deh mey ah-joo-DAHR?	Excuse me, can you help me?
Onde fica [place]?	OHn-deh FEE-ka [place]?	Where is [place]?
À direita	ah dee-RAY-tah	To the right
À esquerda	ah ess-KEHR-dah	To the left
Em frente	ehn FREHN-chee	Straight ahead
Aqui	ah-KEE	Here
Ali	ah-LEE	There

Buying Tickets

If you're traveling, or you need to buy tickets for an event, use these phrases:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Um bilhete, por favor	oong bee-LYEH-teh, pohr fah-VOHR	One ticket, please
Quanto custa?	KWAHN-tooh KOOS-tah?	How much does it cost?
Que horas começa?	keh OH-rahsh koh-MEH-sah?	What time does it start?
Que horas termina?	keh OH-rahsh teh-r-MEE-nah?	What time does it end?
Eu gostaria de um assento na janela/corredor	eh-ooh gohs-TAH-ree-ah deh oong ah-SEHn-toh nah jah-NEH-lah/kohr-deh-ROR	I would like a window/aisle seat

Remember, practice makes perfect! Take some time to practice these phrases until you feel comfortable using them in conversation. You'll be surprised how quickly you can pick up basic Portuguese phrases with a little bit of practice.

Sources

• Portuguese Language
• Portuguese Grammar

Table of Contents - Portuguese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Unit 1: Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Greetings
• Basic Phrases

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Unit 2: Verbs - Present Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Ser and Estar

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Unit 3: Family and Descriptions

• Family Members
• Physical Descriptions
• Personality Descriptions

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Unit 4: Verbs - Future and Conditional Tenses

• Future Tense
• Conditional Tense

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Unit 5: Portuguese-Speaking Countries and Cultures

• Brazil
• Portugal
• Cape Verde
• Angola

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Unit 6: Food and Drink

• Food
• Drink
• Eating Customs

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Unit 7: Verbs - Past Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

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Unit 8: Travel and Transportation

• Air Travel
• Ground Transportation
• Transportation Customs

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Unit 9: Indefinite Pronouns and Prepositions

• Indefinite Pronouns
• Prepositions

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Unit 10: Health and Emergencies

• Medical Vocabulary
• Emergency Services

Related Lessons

• Beach
• Air Travel
• Family Members
• At the Beach
• Halloween
• Symbols
• Counting and Numbers
• Traffic Infraction
• Resources