Essential Portuguese Phrases for Travelling to Brazil
You don't need to be fluent to have a great trip to Brazil. But knowing 50-60 key phrases will transform your experience — you'll navigate airports, order food, haggle at markets, and make friends in a way that English alone won't get you. Brazilians are famously warm toward foreigners who make any effort to speak Portuguese. Here's everything you need.
Survival Basics
These are the phrases you should learn before your plane lands. They cover 80% of basic interactions.
| Oi / Olá | Hi / Hello |
| Bom dia / Boa tarde / Boa noite | Good morning / Good afternoon / Good evening |
| Tudo bem? | How are you? (The most common greeting in Brazil) |
| Tudo bem, obrigado/a | I'm fine, thanks (use obrigado if male, obrigada if female) |
| Por favor | Please |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | Thank you |
| De nada | You're welcome |
| Com licença | Excuse me (to get past someone or get attention) |
| Desculpa | Sorry |
| Não entendo | I don't understand |
| Você fala inglês? | Do you speak English? |
| Pode falar mais devagar? | Can you speak slower? |
| Quanto custa? | How much does it cost? |
| Onde fica...? | Where is...? |
| Tchau / Até mais | Bye / See you later |
"Tudo bem?" is the Swiss Army knife of Brazilian greetings. It works in every context — with taxi drivers, hotel staff, waiters, new friends. The response is usually "Tudo bem" or "Tudo bom" with a smile. You'll hear it dozens of times per day.
Getting Around
| Pode me levar para...? | Can you take me to...? (for taxis/Uber) |
| Quanto tempo demora? | How long does it take? |
| É longe? | Is it far? |
| Vira à esquerda / à direita | Turn left / right |
| Segue reto | Go straight |
| Pode parar aqui | You can stop here |
| Onde fica o metrô mais perto? | Where's the nearest metro? |
| Uma passagem, por favor | One ticket, please |
| Estou perdido/a | I'm lost |
At the Hotel
| Tenho uma reserva | I have a reservation |
| Qual é a senha do Wi-Fi? | What's the Wi-Fi password? |
| Que horas é o checkout? | What time is checkout? |
| O ar condicionado não está funcionando | The AC isn't working |
| Pode trazer toalhas extras? | Can you bring extra towels? |
| O café da manhã está incluso? | Is breakfast included? |
| Posso deixar minhas malas aqui? | Can I leave my bags here? |
At Restaurants
| Uma mesa para dois, por favor | A table for two, please |
| Posso ver o cardápio? | Can I see the menu? |
| O que você recomenda? | What do you recommend? |
| Eu queria... | I'd like... (polite way to order) |
| A conta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Posso pagar com cartão? | Can I pay by card? |
| Está delicioso | It's delicious |
| Sem açúcar, por favor | Without sugar, please |
| Uma cerveja, por favor | A beer, please |
| Água com ou sem gás? | Still or sparkling water? |
Most restaurants add a 10% service charge ("serviço") to the bill. It's optional but customary to pay it. Check the bill for "serviço incluso" or "10%." If it's not included and the service was good, leaving 10% is appreciated but not expected.
Shopping & Markets
| Quanto custa isso? | How much is this? |
| Tem desconto? | Is there a discount? |
| Muito caro! | Too expensive! |
| Posso experimentar? | Can I try it on? |
| Tem em outro tamanho? | Do you have another size? |
| Vou levar | I'll take it |
| Só estou olhando | I'm just looking |
| Aceita cartão? | Do you accept card? |
Emergencies
| Socorro! | Help! |
| Preciso de um médico | I need a doctor |
| Chama a polícia | Call the police |
| Onde fica o hospital mais perto? | Where's the nearest hospital? |
| Onde tem uma farmácia? | Where's a pharmacy? |
| Perdi meu passaporte | I lost my passport |
| Não estou me sentindo bem | I'm not feeling well |
| Tenho alergia a... | I'm allergic to... |
Making Friends
This is where the real magic happens. Brazilians are incredibly social and a few phrases in Portuguese will open doors that English never will.
| De onde você é? | Where are you from? |
| Sou da Inglaterra | I'm from England |
| Estou aprendendo português | I'm learning Portuguese |
| Adoro o Brasil! | I love Brazil! |
| Que legal! | How cool! |
| Qual é o seu Instagram? | What's your Instagram? |
| Vamos manter contato | Let's keep in touch |
| Foi bom conversar com você | It was nice talking to you |
Learn 1-10 (um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, dez), then 20 (vinte), 50 (cinquenta), and 100 (cem). With these you can handle prices, addresses, and times. "Quanto custa?" + understanding the number in the response = you can shop anywhere.
Palavra has dedicated Language Islands decks for Survival, Restaurants, Shopping, Hotels, Getting Around, and Emergencies — all with flashcards you can study on your phone.
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