101 Brazilian Portuguese Phrases for Travelers

If you’re traveling to Brazil, these Brazilian Portuguese phrases are the ones that actually matter, the stuff you’ll use at the airport, in a restaurant, in a taxi, and when something goes wrong. Brazilians are famously warm, and even a few words in Portuguese changes how you’re treated. You don’t need grammar for this trip; you need phrases you can say with confidence. Here are 101 of them, organized by situation, with a note on pronunciation.

Want to hear them out loud? A few are spoken in the audio samples below so you can copy them right away. The full audio, all 101 phrases at natural speed to shadow, lives in the course. Start with the free printable PDF, and get the complete audio in the store when you want to train your ear.

Greetings and being polite

Start here. Brazilians open almost everything with warmth, lead with a smile and one of these. For the full set, see Brazilian greetings.

Portuguese	English
Oi / Olá	Hi / Hello
Bom dia	Good morning
Boa tarde	Good afternoon
Boa noite	Good evening / good night
Tudo bem?	How are you? (lit. all good?)
Tudo bem!	I’m good! (also the answer)
Obrigado / Obrigada	Thank you (man / woman speaking)
De nada	You’re welcome
Por favor	Please
Com licença	Excuse me (to pass / get attention)
Desculpa	Sorry
Tchau	Bye
Até logo	See you soon
Prazer	Nice to meet you

The phrases that save you when you’re lost

You will not understand every answer. That’s fine. These keep the conversation alive long enough to get what you need. For more of the backups that keep you moving when things get tricky, grab the survival tools kit.

Portuguese	English
Você fala inglês?	Do you speak English?
Eu não falo português muito bem	I don’t speak Portuguese very well
Pode repetir, por favor?	Can you repeat, please?
Mais devagar, por favor	More slowly, please
Como se diz… em português?	How do you say… in Portuguese?
O que significa isso?	What does this mean?
Eu não entendi	I didn’t understand
Você pode me ajudar?	Can you help me?
Você pode escrever, por favor?	Can you write it down, please?
Um momento, por favor	One moment, please
Não sei	I don’t know

Numbers, time, and days

Prices, times, and plans all run on these. Learn the small ones and the rest of the day gets easier. Want to go deeper on counting? See Brazilian Portuguese numbers.

Portuguese	English
Um, dois, três	One, two, three
Que horas são?	What time is it?
A que horas?	At what time?
Agora	Now
Mais tarde	Later
Só um minuto	Just a minute
Hoje / amanhã / ontem	Today / tomorrow / yesterday
De manhã / à tarde / à noite	In the morning / afternoon / evening
Segunda-feira	Monday
Fim de semana	Weekend

Getting around: taxis, directions, transport

For the airport-specific set, see Brazilian Portuguese for the airport.

Portuguese	English
Onde fica o banheiro?	Where is the bathroom?
Onde fica…?	Where is…?
Quanto custa até…?	How much is it to…?
Pode me levar para este endereço?	Can you take me to this address?
Vira à direita / à esquerda	Turn right / left
Siga em frente	Go straight ahead
É longe daqui?	Is it far from here?
Pode parar aqui, por favor	You can stop here, please
Qual é o ônibus para o centro?	Which bus goes downtown?
Pode me chamar um táxi?	Can you call me a taxi?

At the hotel

Where you sleep sets the tone. These get you checked in, comfortable, and back out the door without fuss.

Portuguese	English
Eu tenho uma reserva	I have a reservation
Tem um quarto disponível?	Is there a room available?
Qual é a senha do wi-fi?	What’s the wi-fi password?
A que horas é o café da manhã?	What time is breakfast?
A que horas é o check-out?	What time is check-out?
O ar-condicionado não funciona	The air conditioning doesn’t work
Preciso de mais toalhas	I need more towels
Pode me acordar às sete?	Can you wake me at seven?
Posso deixar minha mala aqui?	Can I leave my bag here?
Tem cofre no quarto?	Is there a safe in the room?
A chave, por favor	The key, please

At the restaurant and the bar

Brazil runs on food and conversation. Full deep-dive: how to order food in Brazil.

Portuguese	English
Uma mesa para dois, por favor	A table for two, please
O cardápio, por favor	The menu, please
Eu gostaria de…	I would like…
O que você recomenda?	What do you recommend?
Sou vegetariano / vegetariana	I’m vegetarian (man / woman)
Sem cebola, por favor	Without onion, please
Está delicioso!	It’s delicious!
A conta, por favor	The check, please
Aceita cartão?	Do you take card?
Uma água, por favor	A water, please
Uma cerveja bem gelada	A nice cold beer

Shopping and money

Markets, shops, and street vendors all run on a little friendly back-and-forth. These keep you polite while you compare prices, ask for a deal, and pay.

Portuguese	English
Quanto custa?	How much is it?
Está muito caro	It’s very expensive
Tem desconto?	Is there a discount?
Só estou olhando	I’m just looking
Você tem…?	Do you have…?
Eu vou levar	I’ll take it
Tem em outro tamanho?	Do you have another size?
Tem em outra cor?	Do you have another color?
Posso pagar em dinheiro?	Can I pay in cash?
Onde tem um caixa eletrônico?	Where is there an ATM?
Onde fica o caixa?	Where is the checkout?
Pode embrulhar, por favor?	Can you wrap it, please?

Emergencies, the ones you hope you never need

Say these slowly and clearly.

Portuguese	English
Me ajuda, por favor!	Help me, please!
Chame uma ambulância	Call an ambulance
Chame a polícia!	Call the police!
Eu preciso de um médico	I need a doctor
Estou doente	I’m sick
Estou perdido / perdida	I’m lost (man / woman)
Eu perdi meu passaporte	I lost my passport
Fui roubado / roubada	I was robbed (man / woman)
Onde fica a delegacia?	Where’s the police station?
Onde fica o hospital mais próximo?	Where’s the nearest hospital?
É uma emergência	It’s an emergency

Small talk that makes Brazilians light up

This is the secret weapon. Brazilians love that you’re trying, a little warmth goes a very long way.

Portuguese	English
Eu amo o Brasil	I love Brazil
A comida é maravilhosa	The food is wonderful
Que lugar lindo!	What a beautiful place!
Que legal!	How cool!
De onde você é?	Where are you from?
Eu sou dos Estados Unidos	I’m from the United States
É a minha primeira vez no Brasil	It’s my first time in Brazil
Como você se chama?	What’s your name?
Meu nome é…	My name is…
Você fala muito bem	You speak very well
Adorei conhecer você	I loved meeting you

You don’t need to be fluent to travel well in Brazil. You need the right handful of phrases, said with a smile.

The takeaway

Save these, practice the ones that fit your trip, and grab the free printable phrase list below so they’re in your pocket when you land. Boa viagem!