When starting to learn Portuguese, having a set of practical and often-used phrases can make everyday interactions smoother and more manageable. In this article, I will give you a list of 30 Essential Portuguese Phrases for Beginners that can be really useful in daily life in Portuguese. Learn these 30 sentences, and you can start having your first Portuguese conversations today. Let’s go!
1. Saudações e Cortesia (Greetings and Courtesy)
- “Olá!” (Hello!)
Pronúncia: o.ˈɫa! - “Bom dia!” (Good morning!)
Pronúncia: bõ ˈdi.ɐ! - “Boa tarde!” (Good afternoon!)
Pronúncia: ˈbo.ɐ ˈtaɾ.dɨ! - “Boa noite!” (Good evening/night!)
Pronúncia: ˈbo.ɐ ˈnoj.tɨ! - “Por favor.” (Please.)
Pronúncia: puɾ fɐ.ˈvoɾ. - “Obrigado/a.” (Thank you.)
Pronúncia: o.bɾi.ˈga.du (masculino) / o.bɾi.ˈga.dɐ (feminino). - “Desculpe.” (Sorry.)
Pronúncia: dɨʃ.ˈkuɫ.pɨ. - “Com licença.” (Excuse me.)
Pronúncia: kõ ɫi.ˈsẽ.sɐ. - “Adeus!” (Goodbye!)
Pronúncia: ɐ.ˈdewʃ! - “Até à próxima!” (See you next time!)
Pronúncia: ɐ.ˈtɛ a ˈpɾɔ.ʃi.mɐ!
2. Pedidos e Necessidades (Requests and Needs)
- “Quanto custa?” (How much does it cost?)
Pronúncia: ˈkwɐ̃.tu ˈkuʃ.tɐ? - “Pode ajudar-me?” (Can you help me?)
Pronúncia: ˈpo.dɨ ɐ.ʒu.ˈdaɾ-mɨ? - “Queria…” (I would like…)
Pronúncia: kɨ.ˈɾi.ɐ… - “Tem um menu em Inglês?” (Do you have a menu in English?)
Pronúncia: tɐ̃j ˈũ me.ˈnu ɐ̃j ĩ.ˈgɫeʃ? - “Onde é a casa de banho?” (Where is the bathroom?)
Pronúncia: ˈõ.dɨ ˈɛ ɐ ˈka.zɐ dɨ ˈbɐ.ɲu?
3. Perguntas Básicas (Basic Questions)
- “Como se chama?” (What’s your name?)
Pronúncia: ˈko.mu sɨ ˈʃɐ.mɐ? - “Fala Inglês?” (Do you speak English?)
Pronúncia: ˈfa.ɫɐ ĩ.ˈgɫeʃ? - “Onde é que posso comprar…?” (Where can I buy…?)
Pronúncia: ˈõ.dɨ ˈɛ kɨ ˈpo.su kõ.ˈpɾaɾ…? - “Qual é o horário de funcionamento?” (What are the opening hours?)
Pronúncia: ˈkwaɫ ˈɛ u o.ˈɾa.ɾi.u dɨ fũ.si.u.nɐ.ˈmẽ.tu? - “Como é que chego a [local]?” (How do I get to [place]?)
Pronúncia: ˈko.mu ˈɛ kɨ ˈʃe.gu ɐ [local]?
4. Compreensão e Soluções (Understanding and Solutions)
- “Desculpe, não entendo.” (Sorry, I don’t understand.)
Pronúncia: dɨʃ.ˈkuɫ.pɨ, ˈnɐ̃w ẽ.ˈtẽ.du. - “Pode repetir, por favor?” (Can you repeat that, please?)
Pronúncia: ˈpo.dɨ ʁɨ.pɨ.ˈtiɾ, puɾ fɐ.ˈvoɾ? - “Fale mais devagar, por favor.” (Speak more slowly, please.)
Pronúncia: ˈfa.ɫɨ ˈmajʒ dɨ.vɐ.ˈgaɾ, puɾ fɐ.ˈvoɾ. - “Qual é o seu número de telefone?” (What’s your phone number?)
Pronúncia: ˈkwaɫ ˈɛ u ˈsew ˈnu.mɨ.ɾu dɨ tɨ.ɫɨ.ˈfo.nɨ?
5. Compras e Restaurantes (Shopping and Restaurants)
- “Gostaria de fazer uma reserva.” (I would like to make a reservation.)
Pronúncia: guʃ.tɐ.ˈɾi.ɐ dɨ fɐ.ˈzeɾ ˈu.mɐ ʁɨ.ˈzeɾ.vɐ. - “Aceita cartões de crédito?” (Do you accept credit cards?)
Pronúncia: ɐ.ˈsej.tɐ kaɾ.ˈtɐ̃w? - “Tem alguma recomendação?” (Do you have any recommendations?)
Pronúncia: tɐ̃j aɫ.ˈgu.mɐ ʁɨ.ku.mẽ.dɐ.ˈsɐ̃w?
6. Emergências e Problemas (Emergencies and Problems)
- “Perdi o meu passaporte.” (I lost my passport.)
Pronúncia: pɨɾ.ˈdi u ˈmew pɐ.sɐ.ˈpoɾ.tɨ. - “Preciso de um médico.” (I need a doctor.)
Pronúncia: pɾɨ.ˈsi.zu dɨ ˈũ ˈmɛ.di.ku. - “Chame a polícia!” (Call the police!)
Pronúncia: ˈʃɐ.mɨ ɐ pu.ˈɫi.sɨ.ɐ!
These Portuguese phrases cover a range of common situations and will help you navigate daily life in Portugal with greater ease. Practice these regularly to build your confidence and fluency!
Have fun learning Portuguese! Don’t forget!
If you want to watch this topic in video format, you can check it out on my YouTube channel:
And, by the way, if you want to learn more Portuguese with me, I invite you to check out my free one-hour Portuguese class, where I speak about tips and tricks to learn Portuguese fast and effectively.
That’s all for now!
Beijinhos, and see you in the next article!
Mia