In Brazilian Portuguese, the word for "thank you" changes depending on who is speaking. A woman named Laura just received help from a colleague. What does she say to thank him?
In Brazilian Portuguese, obrigado is used by male speakers and obrigada by female speakers. Since Laura is a woman, she says obrigada. Think of it as the word agreeing with YOU, the speaker, not with the person you are thanking!
You're at a restaurant in Rio de Janeiro and want to ask the waiter for some water. Which phrase is the polite and natural way to make your request?
Por favor means "please" and is the key to polite requests in Brazilian Portuguese, just like in English. Água, por favor is the natural way to ask for water. You can use por favor at the end of almost any request!
You hold the door open for a woman at a café, and she smiles and says Obrigada!. What do you reply?
De nada is the go-to way to say "you're welcome" in Brazilian Portuguese, literally meaning "it's nothing." You might also hear não há de quê in more formal situations, but de nada works perfectly in everyday life.
You're on a crowded subway in São Paulo and need to squeeze past a group of people to reach the exit. What do you say?
Com licença means "excuse me" and is used BEFORE you do something, like squeezing past someone or interrupting a conversation. Desculpe, on the other hand, is for apologizing after something has already happened. Same idea, different timing!
You accidentally step on someone's foot on the bus. What's the right thing to say?
Desculpe (or the more informal desculpa) means "sorry" and is used after something has gone wrong. For a more heartfelt apology, try me desculpe or sinto muito ("I'm very sorry"). Brazilians are warm and forgiving, so a quick desculpe goes a long way!
Your Brazilian host family greets you at the door with a big smile and says Tudo bem?. What are they asking you?
Tudo bem? literally means "all well?" and is one of the most common greetings in Brazil. You can reply with Tudo bem! ("All good!"), Tudo ótimo! ("Everything's great!"), or even just Tudo! for short. It's wonderfully flexible!
It's 8 a.m. and you walk into your language school in Belo Horizonte. How do you greet your teacher?
Bom dia means "good morning" and is used until around noon. After that, switch to boa tarde ("good afternoon") until sunset, then boa noite ("good evening" or "good night"). Brazilians use these time-based greetings often, even with strangers!
You're introduced to your new colleague, Marcos, at work. What do you say to express "Nice to meet you"?
Muito prazer means "very nice to meet you," literally "much pleasure." It's the standard polite phrase for introductions. You can also say just prazer! for short. Marcos might reply with igualmente! ("Likewise!") or o prazer é meu! ("The pleasure is mine!").
Your neighbor, Ricardo, passes you in the hallway and cheerfully asks Como vai?. How do you reply politely?
Tudo bem! is the perfect casual reply to Como vai? ("How are you going?"). You can also say Tudo ótimo! for "Everything's great!" or Mais ou menos ("So-so") on a rough day. Ricardo would likely follow up with a cheerful Que bom! ("That's great!").
As you finish your Portuguese lesson, your teacher smiles and says Até logo!. What does she mean?
Até logo means "see you later" or "goodbye for now," suggesting you'll see the person again soon. You might also hear até mais ("see you"), até amanhã ("see you tomorrow"), or the very casual tchau (borrowed from the Italian "ciao"!) for a quick goodbye.
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