Learning common Portuguese phrases is one of the fastest ways to start speaking Brazilian Portuguese in real conversations.

Instead of memorizing only isolated words, beginner phrases help you understand how Portuguese sounds in everyday situations.

In this beginner-friendly guide, you will learn useful Portuguese phrases for greetings, politeness, asking for help, ordering food, and having simple conversations.

Common Portuguese Phrases for Beginners

Here are some of the most useful Portuguese phrases for beginners:

For another reference, you can also check this external list of useful Brazilian Portuguese phrases.

Basic Greetings in Portuguese

Some of the most common Portuguese phrases are greetings.

• Oi = Hi
• Olá = Hello
• Bom dia = Good morning
• Boa tarde = Good afternoon
• Boa noite = Good evening / Good night
• Tchau = Bye

Examples:

• Oi, tudo bem? = Hi, how are you?
• Bom dia! = Good morning!
• Tchau, até mais! = Bye, see you later!

If you want a full beginner lesson on this topic, read our guide to greetings in Portuguese.

Polite Portuguese Phrases

Polite phrases are very useful in Brazilian Portuguese because they help you sound friendly and respectful.

Examples:

• Um café, por favor. = One coffee, please.
• Obrigado! = Thank you!
• Com licença. = Excuse me.
• Desculpa. = Sorry.

How to Say “I Don’t Understand” in Portuguese

One of the most useful phrases for Portuguese beginners is Eu não entendo.

Eu não entendo means I don’t understand.

You can also use Pode repetir?, which means Can you repeat?

• Eu não entendo. = I don’t understand.
• Pode repetir? = Can you repeat?
• Pode falar mais devagar? = Can you speak more slowly?

These phrases are especially helpful when you are still learning and need more time to understand spoken Portuguese.

Useful Portuguese Phrases for Asking Questions

Questions help you use Portuguese in real situations.

Examples:

• Quanto custa? = How much does it cost?
• Onde fica o banheiro? = Where is the bathroom?
• Você fala inglês? = Do you speak English?

Useful Portuguese Phrases for Food and Shopping

Portuguese phrases become very useful when you are ordering food, buying something, or asking for prices.

• Eu quero água. = I want water.
• Eu quero café. = I want coffee.
• Quanto custa? = How much does it cost?
• Tem pão de queijo? = Do you have pão de queijo?
• A conta, por favor. = The bill, please.

The phrase eu quero means I want. It is one of the most useful structures for beginners because you can use it with many words.

Examples:

• Eu quero uma aula. = I want a class.
• Eu quero dois cafés. = I want two coffees.
• Eu quero o azul. = I want the blue one.

If you want to practice numbers for prices and quantities, review our guide to numbers in Portuguese. You can also practice basic vocabulary with our guide to colors in Portuguese.

Useful Portuguese Phrases for Time and Dates

Some common Portuguese phrases are useful when talking about time, dates, and plans.

• Hoje = Today
• Amanhã = Tomorrow
• Ontem = Yesterday
• Na segunda-feira = On Monday
• Em janeiro = In January

Examples:

• Eu tenho aula hoje. = I have class today.
• Eu trabalho na segunda-feira. = I work on Monday.
• Meu aniversário é em maio. = My birthday is in May.

To keep practicing this topic, read our guides to days of the week in Portuguese and months in Portuguese.

A Simple Conversation in Portuguese

Here is a short beginner-friendly conversation using common Portuguese phrases:

Ana: Oi, tudo bem?

Mark: Tudo bem. E você?

Ana: Estou bem. Você fala português?

Mark: Um pouco. Pode falar mais devagar?

Ana: Claro!

English meaning:

Ana: Hi, how are you?

Mark: I’m good. And you?

Ana: I’m well. Do you speak Portuguese?

Mark: A little. Can you speak more slowly?

Ana: Of course!

If you want to understand why Portuguese uses estou in phrases like estou bem, you can also read our guide about ser vs estar in Portuguese.

Common Mistakes with Portuguese Phrases

One common mistake is translating English phrases word by word into Portuguese.

For example, English speakers often say I am hungry, but Portuguese does not usually say eu sou fome or eu estou fome.

The natural phrase is:

• Estou com fome. = I am hungry.

Another common mistake is using obrigado and obrigada without knowing the difference.

• Obrigado is usually said by a man.
• Obrigada is usually said by a woman.

This is different from English, where “thank you” does not change.

Quick Practice

Try translating these common phrases into Portuguese:

1. Hi!
2. Good morning!
3. Please.
4. Thank you.
5. I don’t understand.
6. Can you repeat?
7. How much does it cost?
8. I want water.

Answers:

1. Oi!
2. Bom dia!
3. Por favor.
4. Obrigado / Obrigada.
5. Eu não entendo.
6. Pode repetir?
7. Quanto custa?
8. Eu quero água.

Final Takeaway

Learning common Portuguese phrases helps you start using Brazilian Portuguese in real situations, even if you are a complete beginner.

Start with these essential phrases:

• Oi = Hi
• Tudo bem? = How are you? / All good?
• Por favor = Please
• Obrigado / Obrigada = Thank you
• Eu não entendo = I don’t understand
• Pode repetir? = Can you repeat?
• Quanto custa? = How much does it cost?
• Eu quero… = I want…

After learning these phrases, you can keep practicing beginner Portuguese with our guide to greetings in Portuguese.

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