Common Portuguese Words for Beginners
Learning a new language is like getting VIP access to a secret club: suddenly you understand the jokes, the memes, and the conversations happening around you. If Portuguese is your club of choice, you’re in very good company: more than 260 million people worldwide speak it every day. But before you blast off to Lisbon or sip caipirinhas on a beach in Rio, you’ll want a ready-to-go toolkit of common Portuguese words that let you greet, thank, order, and explore with confidence.
Below you’ll find a carefully curated starter pack of Portuguese words, divvied up into useful categories. Ready to upgrade your language game? Vamos lá!
Portuguese Greetings & First Impressions
Whether you’re meeting future in-laws or asking a stranger for directions, your opening line sets the tone. Master these Portuguese greetings early and the rest of the convo flows like creamy brigadeiro.
- Olá : Hello
Ex.: Olá, tudo bem? (Hi, how’s it going?) - Oi : Hi / Hey
Ex.: Oi, gente! (Hey, folks!) - Bom dia : Good morning
Ex.: Bom dia, Pedro! (Good morning, Pedro!) - Boa tarde : Good afternoon
Ex.: Chego às três, boa tarde! (I arrive at three, good afternoon!) - Boa noite : Good evening / Good night
Ex.: Boa noite, até amanhã. (Good night, see you tomorrow.) - Tchau : Bye
Ex.: Vou embora, tchau! (I’m leaving, bye!)
✨ Pro tip: Once you’re comfortable with the classics, spice things up with some Portuguese slang to sound extra local.
Portuguese Numbers: Counting from 1 to 20 (and Beyond)
If you want to haggle at a feira, shout your table number to a waiter, or just keep score during a beachside futebol match, knowing your digits is essential. Start here and you’ll be trading phone numbers and bragging about how many pastéis de nata you’ve eaten in no time.
- Um / Uma : One
Ex.: Quero um café, por favor. (I’d like one coffee, please.) - Dois / Duas : Two
Ex.: Tenho duas mochilas. (I have two backpacks.) - Três : Three
Ex.: Três ingressos para o filme, por favor. (Three tickets for the movie, please.) - Quatro : Four
Ex.: O hotel tem quatro andares. (The hotel has four floors.) - Cinco : Five
Ex.: São cinco horas. (It’s five o’clock.) - Seis : Six
Ex.: O show começa às seis. (The show starts at six.) - Sete : Seven
Ex.: Chego às sete em ponto. (I arrive at exactly seven.) - Oito : Eight
Ex.: A aula dura oito semanas. (The class lasts eight weeks.) - Nove : Nine
Ex.: Tenho nove reais. (I have nine reais.) - Dez : Ten
Ex.: Dez minutos de intervalo. (Ten‑minute break.) - Onze : Eleven
Ex.: São onze pessoas na fila. (There are eleven people in line.) - Doze : Twelve
Ex.: O relógio marca doze horas. (The clock strikes twelve.) - Treze : Thirteen
Ex.: Ele tem treze anos. (He’s thirteen years old.) - Catorze / Quatorze : Fourteen
Ex.: Quatorze dias de férias. (Fourteen days of vacation.) - Quinze : Fifteen
Ex.: São quinze euros. (That’s fifteen euros.) - Dezesseis / Dezasseis : Sixteen
Ex.: Ela tem dezesseis anos. (She’s sixteen years old.) - Dezessete / Dezassete : Seventeen
Ex.: Faltam dezessete minutos. (Seventeen minutes left.) - Dezoito : Eighteen
Ex.: Ele chega no dia dezoito. (He arrives on the eighteenth.) - Dezenove / Dezanove : Nineteen
Ex.: Aula às dezenove horas. (Class at 19:00.) - Vinte : Twenty
Ex.: Vinte pessoas confirmaram. (Twenty people confirmed.)
Got the basics down? Stack ’em to build bigger numbers: trinta e dois (32), quarenta e sete (47), cem (100) and so on. Practice counting out loud on your commute or tally how many times friends say "legal" in a day for effortless fluency.
Portuguese Words for Politeness & Pleasantries
Politeness greases the social wheels in any language. These courteous Portuguese words will help you navigate cafés, shops, and everyday chats without sounding like a caveman.
- Por favor : Please
Ex.: Um café, por favor. (A coffee, please.) - Obrigado/Obrigada : Thank you (male/female speaker)
Ex.: Obrigada pela ajuda! (Thanks for the help!) - De nada : You’re welcome
Ex.: :Obrigado! :De nada! ( :Thanks! :You’re welcome! ) - Com licença : Excuse me
Ex.: Com licença, posso passar? (Excuse me, can I pass?) - Desculpe : Sorry
Ex.: Desculpe pelo atraso. (Sorry for the delay.) - Tudo bem? : All good? / How are you?
Ex.: :Oi, tudo bem? :Tudo ótimo! ( :Hi, how are you? :Great! )
Common Portuguese Words for Directions & Getting Around
Lost in a maze of pastel-painted streets? These words are your compass. A few well-placed nouns and question words can save you hours of wandering (unless wandering is the plan).
- Onde : Where
Ex.: Onde fica a estação? (Where is the station?) - Aqui / Ali / Lá : Here / There (near) / There (far)
Ex.: A farmácia fica ali. (The pharmacy is there.) - Direita / Esquerda : Right / Left
Ex.: Vire à direita depois do banco. (Turn right after the bank.) - Em frente : Straight ahead
Ex.: Siga em frente por três quarteirões. (Go straight for three blocks.) - Perto / Longe : Near / Far
Ex.: É perto daqui? (Is it near here?) - Quanto custa? : How much does it cost?
Ex.: Quanto custa a passagem? (How much is the ticket?)
Ready to test-drive these phrases with real humans? Download Tandem and swap directions with a Lisbon local in minutes.
Basic Portuguese Words for Food, Drink & Ordering Like a Pro
Portuguese cuisine is legendary: pastéis de nata, feijoada, bacalhau, the list is mouth-watering. These common Portuguese words make menus less mysterious and keep you fueled for sightseeing.
- Água : Water
Ex.: Uma garrafa de água, por favor. (A bottle of water, please.) - Cerveja : Beer
Ex.: Duas cervejas geladas, obrigada. (Two cold beers, thanks.) - Vinho : Wine
Ex.: Prefere vinho tinto ou branco? (Do you prefer red or white wine?) - Conta : Bill
Ex.: A conta, por favor. (The bill, please.) - Prato do dia : Dish of the day
Ex.: Qual é o prato do dia? (What’s the dish of the day?) - Delicioso : Delicious
Ex.: Este bolo está delicioso! (This cake is delicious!)
If you want to level up from polite to playful, sprinkle in a few tasteful Portuguese insults. Just kidding (mostly). Use responsibly!
Portuguese Words for Emergencies & Asking for Help
Nobody plans for mishaps, but life loves plot twists. Keep these words handy for peace of mind.
- Ajuda : Help
Ex.: Preciso de ajuda! (I need help!) - Polícia : Police
Ex.: Chame a polícia! (Call the police!) - Médico : Doctor
Ex.: Há um médico por perto? (Is there a doctor nearby?) - Perdi-me : I got lost
Ex.: Acho que me perdi. (I think I got lost.) - Perigo : Danger
Ex.: Isso parece perigo! (That looks dangerous!) - Farmácia : Pharmacy
Ex.: Onde fica a farmácia mais próxima? (Where is the nearest pharmacy?)
Small Talk & Everyday Vibes
Once the essentials are down, small talk keeps conversations rolling. These Portuguese words help you bond over weather, hobbies, and weekend plans.
- Tempo : Weather / Time
Ex.: Que tempo faz hoje? (What’s the weather like today?) - Hoje / Amanhã : Today / Tomorrow
Ex.: Temos aula amanhã? (Do we have class tomorrow?) - Legal : Cool / Nice
Ex.: Esse filme é muito legal. (That movie is really cool.) - Gosto de : I like
Ex.: Gosto de música brasileira. (I like Brazilian music.) - Talvez : Maybe
Ex.: Talvez eu vá à festa. (Maybe I’ll go to the party.) - Saúde : Bless you / Cheers
Ex.: :Atchim! :Saúde! (:Achoo! :Bless you!)
Want even more chat-ready nuggets? Check out our guide to trendy Portuguese phrases that locals actually use.
Wrapping Up: Your Next Steps in Portuguese
Voilà, you now have a pocket-sized arsenal of roughly fifty powerhouse words. With these common Portuguese words under your belt (and a bit of practice), you can greet strangers, order feijoada, navigate narrow alleys, and even survive the occasional calamity. Keep in mind that vocabulary sticks best when you use it in real conversations, not flash-card vacuums. That’s where Tandem shines. Connect with native speakers, swap audio messages, and watch your fluency skyrocket. Até logo e boa prática!
