Language/Portuguese/Vocabulary/Basic-Phrases

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Portuguese → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Basic Phrases

Welcome to the "Basic Phrases" lesson! In this lesson, we will explore a variety of essential Portuguese phrases that will help you navigate everyday situations. Whether you're ordering food, asking for directions, or buying tickets, having a solid foundation in basic phrases is crucial for effective communication. As you embark on your journey to learn Portuguese, mastering these phrases will enhance your confidence and enable you to interact more naturally with native speakers.

This lesson is designed for complete beginners, so don't worry if you're just starting out! We'll break down everything step by step, with clear examples to illustrate each point. By the end of this lesson, you will be equipped with the vocabulary needed for common interactions in Portuguese-speaking environments.

Importance of Basic Phrases

Basic phrases are the building blocks of a language. They serve as essential tools for communication and help you establish connections with others. In Portuguese, knowing how to greet someone, ask for help, or express gratitude can significantly enrich your experience while traveling or interacting with Portuguese speakers.

In this lesson, we will cover:

• Common greetings

• Phrases for ordering food

• Phrases for asking for directions

• Phrases for buying tickets

• General expressions to enhance conversations

Common Greetings

Understanding how to greet people is the first step to effective communication. Here are a few common greetings in Portuguese:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Olá	oˈla	Hello
Bom dia	bõ ˈdʒi.ɐ	Good morning
Boa tarde	ˈboɐ ˈtaʁ.dʒi	Good afternoon
Boa noite	ˈboɐ ˈnoj.tʃi	Good evening / Good night
Como você está?	ˈko.mu voˈse esˈta	How are you?
Estou bem, obrigado!	esˈtoʊ bẽɪ̃ ˈo.βɾiˈɡa.dʊ	I’m fine, thank you!
E você?	i voˈse	And you?
Prazer em conhecê-lo!	pɾaˈzeʁ ẽ ko.ɲeˈse.lu	Nice to meet you!
Até logo!	aˈte ˈlo.ɡu	See you later!
Tchau!	tʃaw	Bye!

Phrases for Ordering Food

When dining out, knowing how to order food is crucial. Here are some useful phrases:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Eu gostaria de...	ew ɡosˈtaɾ.i.a dʒi...	I would like...
O que você recomenda?	u ki voˈse ʁe.koˈmẽ.da	What do you recommend?
Eu sou alérgico(a) a...	ew so uˈlɛʁ.ʒi.ku(a) a...	I am allergic to...
A conta, por favor.	a ˈkõ.ta poʁ faˈvoʁ	The bill, please.
Poderia trazer mais...	po.deˈɾi.a tɾaˈzeʁ maiz...	Could you bring more...
Onde está o cardápio?	ˈõ.dʒi esˈta u kaʁˈda.pju	Where is the menu?
Eu quero...	ew ˈkɛ.ɾu	I want...
Isso é gostoso!	ˈi.su ɛ ɡosˈto.zu	This is delicious!
Tem opções vegetarianas?	teɪ̃ ɐp.ˈsõj̃s veʒ.e.tʃaˈɾjɐ.nɐs	Are there vegetarian options?
Posso ver a sobremesa?	ˈpɔ.su veʁ a so.bɾeˈme.za	Can I see the dessert?

Phrases for Asking for Directions

If you're exploring a new city, you'll likely need to ask for directions. Here are some phrases to help you:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Onde fica...?	ˈõ.dʒi ˈfi.ka...	Where is...?
Como chego a...?	ˈko.mu ˈʃe.ɡu a...	How do I get to...?
Você pode me ajudar?	voˈse ˈpɔ.dʒi me a.ʒuˈdaʁ	Can you help me?
É longe daqui?	ɛ ˈlõ.ʒi dʒaˈki	Is it far from here?
Vire à direita/esquerda.	ˈvi.ɾi a dʒiˈɾe.i.tɐ/esˈkeʁ.dɐ	Turn right/left.
Siga em frente.	ˈsi.ɡa ẽ ˈfɾẽ.tʃi	Go straight ahead.
Estou perdido(a).	esˈtoʊ peʁˈdʒi.ðu(a)	I am lost.
Você sabe onde está...?	voˈse ˈsa.bi ˈõ.dʒi esˈta...	Do you know where... is?
Pode repetir, por favor?	ˈpɔ.dʒi ʁe.peˈtʃiʁ poʁ faˈvoʁ	Can you repeat, please?
Obrigado(a) pela ajuda!	o.bɾiˈɡa.dʊ(a) ˈpe.lɐ a.ʒuˈda	Thank you for your help!

Phrases for Buying Tickets

Whether you're at the bus station or a concert, buying tickets can be straightforward with the right phrases:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Eu gostaria de comprar um bilhete.	ew ɡosˈtaɾ.i.a dʒi kõˈpɾaʁ ũ biˈʎe.tʃi	I would like to buy a ticket.
Qual é o preço?	kwaʊ ɛ u ˈpɾe.su	What is the price?
Onde é a bilheteira?	ˈõ.dʒi ɛ a biʎeˈtɛ.ɾɐ	Where is the ticket office?
Tem desconto?	teɪ̃ deʃˈkõ.tu	Is there a discount?
Eu quero um bilhete de ida e volta.	ew ˈkɛ.ɾu ũ biˈʎe.tʃi dʒi ˈi.dɐ i ˈvɔl.tɐ	I want a round trip ticket.
Para que dia?	ˈpa.ɾɐ ki ˈdʒi.ɐ	For which day?
Você aceita cartão de crédito?	voˈse aˈsej.ta kaʁˈtɐ̃w dʒi ˈkɾe.dʒi.tu	Do you accept credit cards?
Posso comprar online?	ˈpɔ.su kũˈpɾaʁ ɒ̃ˈlajn	Can I buy online?
A que horas começa?	a ki ˈɔ.ɾɐs koˈmɛ.sɐ	What time does it start?
Qual é a fila para...?	kwɐʊ ɛ a ˈfi.lɐ ˈpa.ɾɐ...	Which line is for...?

General Expressions to Enhance Conversations

These expressions can help you sound more fluent and engaged during conversations:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Com licença	kũ liˈsẽ.sɐ	Excuse me
Desculpe	dʒisˈkuʊ.pi	Sorry
Não entendi	nɐ̃w ẽtẽˈdʒi	I didn’t understand
Pode falar mais devagar?	ˈpɔ.dʒi faˈlaʁ maɪ̯s de.vaˈɡaʁ	Can you speak more slowly?
Isso é interessante!	ˈi.su ɛ ĩ.te.ɾeˈsɐ̃̃tʃi	That’s interesting!
Que legal!	ki leˈɡaw	How cool!
Estou aprendendo português.	esˈtoʊ a.pɾẽˈdẽ.du pɔʁtuˈɡeɪs	I am learning Portuguese.
Você fala inglês?	voˈse ˈfa.lɐ ĩˈɡleʒ	Do you speak English?
Estou feliz!	esˈtoʊ feˈliʒ	I am happy!
Que horas são?	ki ˈɔ.ɾɐs sɐ̃w	What time is it?

Practice Exercises

Now that we've covered some basic phrases, it's time to practice! Here are some exercises to help you apply what you've learned:

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word or phrase in Portuguese.

1. Eu gostaria de ________ um bilhete.

2. Onde fica ________?

3. A conta, ________.

4. Você sabe onde está ________?

5. Estou ________.

Answers:

1. comprar

2. a estação (the station)

3. por favor

4. o banheiro (the bathroom)

5. perdido(a)

Exercise 2: Match the Phrases

Match the English phrases to their Portuguese equivalents.

1. Good morning

2. Can you help me?

3. This is delicious!

4. I want a round trip ticket.

5. Where is the menu?

Answers:

1. b. Bom dia

2. a. Você pode me ajudar?

3. e. Isso é gostoso!

4. d. Eu quero um bilhete de ida e volta.

5. c. Onde está o cardápio?

Exercise 3: Role Play

In pairs, practice a dialogue using the phrases learned. One person will be the waiter, and the other will be the customer. Use at least five phrases from the lesson.

Exercise 4: Translation Exercise

Translate the following sentences from English to Portuguese.

1. Excuse me, where is the bus station?

2. I would like to order a coffee, please.

3. How do I get to the airport?

4. What time does the movie start?

5. Thank you for your help!

Answers:

1. Com licença, onde fica a estação de ônibus?

2. Eu gostaria de pedir um café, por favor.

3. Como chego ao aeroporto?

4. A que horas começa o filme?

5. Obrigado(a) pela ajuda!

Exercise 5: Create Your Own Dialogue

Write a short dialogue between two people using at least ten phrases from the lesson. You can set the scene in a restaurant, on the street, or at a ticket counter.

Exercise 6: Listening Comprehension

Listen to a native speaker (or a recording) use the phrases in context. Write down the phrases you hear and their meanings.

Exercise 7: Flashcard Challenge

Create flashcards for the phrases learned in this lesson. On one side write the Portuguese phrase, and on the other side, the English translation. Quiz yourself or have a friend quiz you.

Exercise 8: Pronunciation Practice

Choose five phrases from the lesson and practice saying them out loud. Focus on the pronunciation and intonation.

Exercise 9: Group Discussion

In a group, discuss your experiences using Portuguese phrases while traveling or interacting with speakers. Share any challenges or funny moments!

Exercise 10: Vocabulary Test

Write a short quiz to test your knowledge of the phrases covered in this lesson. Include multiple-choice questions and true/false statements.

Example Questions:

1. What is "Thank you" in Portuguese?

A) Olá

B) Obrigado(a)

C) Até logo

2. True or False: "Onde fica?" means "Where is?"

Answers:

1. B) Obrigado(a)

2. True

By practicing these exercises, you're solidifying your understanding of essential Portuguese phrases. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Table of Contents - Portuguese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Unit 1: Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Greetings
• Basic Phrases

  ---

Unit 2: Verbs - Present Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Ser and Estar

  ---

Unit 3: Family and Descriptions

• Family Members
• Physical Descriptions
• Personality Descriptions

  ---

Unit 4: Verbs - Future and Conditional Tenses

• Future Tense
• Conditional Tense

  ---

Unit 5: Portuguese-Speaking Countries and Cultures

• Brazil
• Portugal
• Cape Verde
• Angola

  ---

Unit 6: Food and Drink

• Food
• Drink
• Eating Customs

  ---

Unit 7: Verbs - Past Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

  ---

Unit 8: Travel and Transportation

• Air Travel
• Ground Transportation
• Transportation Customs

  ---

Unit 9: Indefinite Pronouns and Prepositions

• Indefinite Pronouns
• Prepositions

  ---

Unit 10: Health and Emergencies

• Medical Vocabulary
• Emergency Services

Sources

• Get By with the Basics: 45 Basic Portuguese Phrases for All Your ...
• Common and Basic Portuguese Phrases and Words to Learn
• 15 basic Portuguese language phrases & words to know before you ...

Other Lessons

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

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