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Cheat Sheet
Portuguese For Dummies
If you want to be understood in Brazil or Portugal, knowing the basics of Portuguese is a necessity. Portuguese For Dummies gives you lots of information on the language, including how to recite the Portuguese alphabet, how to ask simple questions and carry on a conversation, and how to show enthusiasm for what you’re experiencing. You get help in how to speak formally, how to conjugate verbs, and how to pronounce some of the trickier words in the language.
How to Say the Alphabet in Portuguese
When you’re learning Brazilian Portuguese, reciting your ABCs is probably one of the first things you need to know. The following table is a handy guide to help you get a handle on how to pronounce letters in Portuguese. (Stressed syllables are in italic print.)
| a (ah) | h (ah-gah) | o (awe) | v (veh) |
| b (beh) | I (ee) | p (peh) | w (dah-boo yoo) |
| c (seh) | j ( zhoh-tah) | q (keh) | x (sheez) |
| d (deh) | k (kah) | r (eh-hee) | y (eep-see-loh) |
| e (eh) | l (eh-lee) | s (eh-see) | z (zeh) |
| f (eh-fee) | m (eh-mee) | t (teh) | |
| g (zheh) | n (eh-nee) | u (ooh) |
Question Words in Portuguese
Even if you’re not a reporter, you need to know how to say who, what, when, where, why, and how in Portuguese — and if you’re a tourist in Portugal or Brazil, knowing how to say how much can come in very handy. The following list shows you the Portuguese word and pronunciation for basic questions:
Who? Quem? (kang)
When? Quando? (kwahn-doh)
Where? Onde? (ohn-jee)
Why? Por quê? (poh keh)
How? Como? (koh-moo)
What? O que? (ooh kee)
Which? Qual? (kwah-ooh)
How much? Quanto? (kwahn-too)
Numbers from 1 to 10 in Portuguese
Counting from 1 to 10 is a basic skill in any language. How to say those numbers in Brazilian Portuguese is what the following table shows you:
| Number | Name & Pronunciation | Number | Name & Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | um (oong) | 6 | seis (say-eez) |
| 2 | dois (doh-eez) | 7 | sete (seh-chee) |
| 3 | três (tdehz) | 8 | oito (oh-ee-toh) |
| 4 | quatro (kwah-tdoo) | 9 | nove (noh-vee) |
| 5 | cinco (sing-koh) | 10 | dez (dez) |
Standard Portuguese Greetings
If you’re speaking Portuguese, knowing the right questions to ask goes a long way toward helping you make friends in Brazil and Portugal. The following list shows some common questions and greetings.
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How are you? Tudo bem? (too-doh bang)
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How are things? Como vai? (koh-moh vah-ee)
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Bye! Tchau! (chah-ooh)
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See you later! Até logo! (ah-the loh-goo)
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See you tomorrow! Até amanhã! (ah-teh ah-mang-yah)
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What’s your name? Qual é seu nome? (kwah-ooh eh seh-ooh noh-mee)
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Where are you from? De onde é? (jee ohn-jee eh)
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Do you speak English? Fala inglês? (fah-lah eeng-glehz)
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What’s your e-mail address? Qual é seu e-mail? (kwah-ooh eh seh-ooh ee-meh-ooh)
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What do you like to do? O que gosta de fazer? (ooh kee goh-stah jee fah-zeh)
Portuguese Exclamations
To show excitement or appreciation for something, you speak in exclamations. Exclamations in Brazilian Portuguese are much the same as in English, as the following list, which translates some common expressions of enthusiasm, shows:
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Cool! Legal! (lay-gow)
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Great! Ótimo! (oh-chee-moh)
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How beautiful! Que bonito! (kee boo-nee-too)
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I love it! Adoro! (ah-doh-doo)
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How delicious! Que gostoso! (kee goh-stoh-zoo)
Tricky Portuguese Pronunciations
Some common words in Portuguese are tricky for non-native speakers to pronounce. The following list contains a few of them and their correct pronunciations so you can speak them like a pro.
amigo (ah-mee-goo) friend
Brasil (bdah-zeeh-ooh) Brazil
Carnaval (kah-nah-vah-ooh) Carnival
festa (feh-stah) party
João (zhoo-ah-ooh) a man’s name
música (moo-zee-kah) music
praia (pdah-ee-ah) beach
Rio de Janeiro (hee-ooh dee zhah-nay-doo) Brazilian host city of the 2016 Olympic Games
Roberta (hoh-beh-tah) a woman’s name
samba (sahm-bah) a type of Brazilian dance
Speaking Formally in Portuguese
If you’re talking in Brazilian Portuguese to an authority figure or you want to show respect to an elderly person, be sure to call him or her
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Sir (Literally: the gentleman) o senhor (ooh seen-yoh)
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Ma’am (Literally: the lady) a senhora (ahseen-yoh-dah)
How to Conjugate Regular Portuguese Verbs in Present Tense
Regular verbs in Portuguese end in -ar, -er, and -ir. For the present tense of the verb, just take off the ending and add -o, -a, -amos or -am. The following list shows the conjugation for the -ar verb falar (fah-lah; to speak):
Eu falo. I speak.
Você fala. You speak.
Ele/ela fala. He/she speaks.
Nós falamos. We speak.
Eles falam. They speak.
