Common Portuguese Phrases with English Translation
Last reviewed on May 7, 2026.
Master essential Portuguese phrases for daily communication. Whether you're traveling to Brazil, Portugal, or another Portuguese-speaking country, these common phrases will help you handle the situations you actually run into — greetings, ordering food, asking directions, and emergencies. Each entry shows the Portuguese, the English meaning, and a simple pronunciation guide that approximates the Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation. European Portuguese speakers may stress and clip vowels differently; the spelling is the same.
Looking for grammar background and false-friend pitfalls instead? See our Learn English for Portuguese speakers guide. To translate a phrase you don't see here, use the translator.
Basic Greetings and Polite Expressions
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Olá | Hello | oh-LAH |
| Bom dia | Good morning | bohm DEE-ah |
| Boa tarde | Good afternoon | BOH-ah TAHR-deh |
| Boa noite | Good evening/night | BOH-ah NOY-teh |
| Como está? | How are you? | KOH-moo esh-TAH |
| Muito bem, obrigado/a | Very well, thank you | MWEEN-too behm, oh-bree-GAH-doo/dah |
| Por favor | Please | pohr fah-VOHR |
| Obrigado/Obrigada | Thank you (m/f) | oh-bree-GAH-doo/dah |
| De nada | You're welcome | deh NAH-dah |
| Com licença | Excuse me | kohm lee-SEN-sah |
| Desculpe | Sorry | desh-KOOL-peh |
| Tchau | Bye | CHOW |
| Adeus | Goodbye | ah-DEH-oosh |
| Até logo | See you later | ah-TEH LOH-goo |
Essential Questions
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Qual é o seu nome? | What is your name? | kwahl eh oh SEH-oo NOH-meh |
| De onde você é? | Where are you from? | deh OHN-deh voh-SEH eh |
| Você fala inglês? | Do you speak English? | voh-SEH FAH-lah een-GLEHS |
| Quanto custa? | How much does it cost? | KWAHN-too KOOS-tah |
| Onde fica...? | Where is...? | OHN-deh FEE-kah |
| Que horas são? | What time is it? | keh OH-rahsh sown |
| Pode me ajudar? | Can you help me? | POH-deh meh ah-zhoo-DAHR |
| Eu não entendo | I don't understand | eh-oo nown ehn-TEHN-doo |
| Pode repetir? | Can you repeat? | POH-deh heh-peh-TEER |
| O que é isso? | What is this? | oh keh eh EE-soo |
Travel and Directions
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Onde fica o banheiro? | Where is the bathroom? | OHN-deh FEE-kah oh bahn-YEH-roo |
| À direita | To the right | ah dee-REH-tah |
| À esquerda | To the left | ah esh-KEHR-dah |
| Em frente | Straight ahead | ehm FREHN-teh |
| Perto | Near | PEHR-too |
| Longe | Far | LOHN-zheh |
| Aeroporto | Airport | ah-eh-roh-POHR-too |
| Hotel | Hotel | oh-TEHL |
| Restaurante | Restaurant | hesh-tow-RAHN-teh |
| Táxi | Taxi | TAHK-see |
Restaurant and Food
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| O cardápio, por favor | The menu, please | oh kahr-DAH-pee-oo, pohr fah-VOHR |
| Eu quero... | I want... | eh-oo KEH-roo |
| Água | Water | AH-gwah |
| Café | Coffee | kah-FEH |
| Cerveja | Beer | sehr-VEH-zhah |
| Vinho | Wine | VEEN-yoo |
| A conta, por favor | The bill, please | ah KOHN-tah, pohr fah-VOHR |
| Está delicioso | It's delicious | esh-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo |
| Sem açúcar | Without sugar | sehm ah-SOO-kahr |
| Vegetariano | Vegetarian | veh-zheh-tah-ree-AH-noo |
Emergency and Health
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Socorro! | Help! | soh-KOH-hoo |
| Preciso de um médico | I need a doctor | preh-SEE-zoo deh oom MEH-dee-koo |
| Hospital | Hospital | osh-pee-TAHL |
| Farmácia | Pharmacy | fahr-MAH-see-ah |
| Estou doente | I am sick | esh-TOH doo-EHN-teh |
| Dor | Pain | dohr |
| Emergência | Emergency | eh-mehr-ZHEHN-see-ah |
| Polícia | Police | poh-LEE-see-ah |
Numbers 1-20
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Um/Uma | One | oom/OO-mah |
| Dois/Duas | Two | doysh/DOO-ahsh |
| Três | Three | trehsh |
| Quatro | Four | KWAH-troo |
| Cinco | Five | SEEN-koo |
| Seis | Six | saysh |
| Sete | Seven | SEH-teh |
| Oito | Eight | OY-too |
| Nove | Nine | NOH-veh |
| Dez | Ten | dehsh |
| Vinte | Twenty | VEEN-teh |
| Cem | One hundred | sehm |
| Mil | One thousand | meel |
Days of the Week & Time
| Portuguese | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Segunda-feira | Monday | seh-GOON-dah FAY-rah |
| Terça-feira | Tuesday | TEHR-sah FAY-rah |
| Quarta-feira | Wednesday | KWAHR-tah FAY-rah |
| Quinta-feira | Thursday | KEEN-tah FAY-rah |
| Sexta-feira | Friday | SEHSH-tah FAY-rah |
| Sábado | Saturday | SAH-bah-doo |
| Domingo | Sunday | doo-MEEN-goo |
| Hoje | Today | OH-zheh |
| Amanhã | Tomorrow | ah-mahn-YAHN |
| Ontem | Yesterday | OHN-tehm |
Tips for Learning Portuguese Phrases
- Practice Daily: Dedicate 15-20 minutes daily to practicing these phrases.
- Use Audio Resources: Listen to native speakers to perfect your pronunciation.
- Context Matters: Learn phrases in context rather than isolated words.
- Brazilian vs European Portuguese: Pronunciation and some vocabulary differ between Brazilian and European Portuguese — for the differences that actually change a translation, see Brazilian vs European Portuguese.
- Gender Matters: Portuguese nouns have gender (masculine/feminine), affecting adjectives and articles.
- Practice with Native Speakers: Use language exchange apps to practice with Portuguese speakers.
- Watch Portuguese Media: Movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos help with natural speech patterns.
- Use Our Translator: Practice by translating sentences and checking your understanding.
Related references
- Portuguese pronunciation for English speakers — vowels, nasals, consonants, and stress, with worked examples.
- Brazilian vs European Portuguese — vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar differences that change how a phrase is rendered.
- Learn English for Portuguese speakers — if you're using these phrases as a starting point to learn English, the longer guide builds out the grammar.
Ready to Practice?
Now that you've learned these common Portuguese phrases, put them into practice! Use our Portuguese to English translator to:
- Check your understanding of Portuguese texts
- Translate more complex sentences
- Learn new vocabulary in context
- Practice writing in Portuguese and verify your translations