Blog

In this post we’ll learn some basic Portuguese greetings and survival expressions.

Olá! Hello! Basic Portuguese Greetings

Let’s start with basic Portuguese greetings.

• Olá. Hello.
• Oi!  Hi!
• Bom dia. Good morning. Good day.
• Boa tarde. Good afternoon.
• Boa noite. Good night. Good evening.
• Tchau. Good-bye.

Até mais! See You Soon!

Here are a few more friendly expressions that you might want to be able to use.

• Até mais. See you soon.
• Nos vemos mais tarde. See you later.
• Até amanhã. See you tomorrow.
• Prazer em conhecê-lo/la. Nice to meet you. (m./f.)
• Durma bem! / Durmam bem! Sleep well! (sing./ pl.)

Como vai? How Are You?

Courtesy expressions are an important part of using Portuguese greetings and survival expressions. Let’s see a few that you can use when you meet someone or want to be polite.

• Como vai? / Como vão?
  How are you? (singular, plural)
• Estou bem.
  I’m fine.
• Obrigado/a.
  Thank you.
• De nada.
  You’re welcome.
• Por favor.
  Please.
• Com licença. 
  Excuse me.
• Desculpe!
  Sorry!
• Como você se chama? 
  What is your name?
• Meu nome é…
  My name is…
• De onde você é? / De onde vocês são?
  Where are you from? (singular, plural)
• (Eu) Sou de/do/da…
  I’m from…

Não entendo.  I Don’t Understand.

Now let’s turn to some helpful survival expressions that you can use as you learn the language.

• (Eu) Não falo português.  
  I don’t speak Portuguese.
• Você fala inglês? / Vocês falam inglês?
  Do you speak English? (singular/plural)
• (Eu) Não entendo.  
  I don’t understand.
• Falo um pouco de português. 
  I speak a little Portuguese.
• Estou aprendendo português. 
  I’m learning Portuguese.
• Entendo um pouco de português. 
  I understand a little Portuguese.
• Repita, por favor.
  Please repeat.
• Escreva isto, por favor.
  Please write that.
• Como se diz… em português. 
   How do you say… in Portuguese?

Do you want to learn Portuguese?

We hope you enjoyed learning some basic Portuguese greetings and survival expressions. If you’d like to learn more, check out our other posts on Portuguese language, Brazilian culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live Portuguese lessons with a real teacher, check out The Language Garage Portuguese. Our lessons are given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work. We can come to you. And we have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!

Image by alexramos10 from Pixabay