This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the B1 level.
My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:
*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:
After this course, you'll have come closer to the B1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.
Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?
Geared toward Absolute Beginners, this course gives you a solid start and foundation to build upon.
This is an introductory course to the Portuguese language as spoken in Portugal. Throughout the course, we will focus on the Portuguese sound system and basic Portuguese grammar.
You will also learn how to introduce yourself and day-to-day, useful phrases. Finally, we will discuss learning resources and strategies to support your learning journey.
After the course, you will have a basic understanding of European Portuguese pronunciation and grammar. You will also be capable of engaging in simple, short oral interactions. Last but not least, you will be aware of a variety of learning resources and strategies to help you succeed at learning the language.
I will keep you updated on upcoming course seasons
This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A2 level.
My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:
*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:
After this course, you'll have come closer to the A2 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.
Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?
This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A1 level.
If you have just started your learning journey, you may find this course too challenging. Consider enrolling for the Clean Slate A0 instead (if available).
This is an all-round course, meaning that we’ll work on all aspects of language learning (at the A1 level):
After this course, you'll have come closer to the A1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.
Not sure if you should enroll in the A1 or A2 course?
How do you say “Hi!” in Portuguese? And what about “Thank you”? And what about if you want to introduce yourself to others?
If you are an absolute beginner or someone planning to visit a Portuguese-speaking country any time soon, you came to the right place. You are about to learn simple Portuguese phrases that we use non-stop in day-to-day life. Here we go.
| 1. | Olá! | Hi! |
| 2. | Tudo bem? | How are you doing? |
| 3. | Bem obrigado/a, e tu? (informal) Bem obrigado/a, e você? (formal) | I am fine, what about you? |
| 4. | Bom dia | Good morning |
| 5. | Boa tarde | Good afternoon |
| 6. | Boa noite | Good evening Good night |
| 7. | Adeus | Bye |
| 8. | Até à próxima | See you next time |
| 9. | Até já | See you in a minute |
| 10. | Até logo | See you later |
| 11. | Até amanhã | See you tomorrow |
Note that you say Obrigado or Obrigada depending on if you identify with a man or a woman respectively.
Also, you will often hear Viva! or Então? instead of Olá! And most of the time folks will be combining different expressions into one greeting such as Viva, tudo bem?
Boa noite is used to greet both Good evening and Good night –the context tells you of course which one it is.
Learn more Portuguese greetings: Saying Hello! in Portuguese: A Comprehensive Rundown on Portuguese Greetings.
| 12. | Como te chamas? (formal) Como se chama? (informal) | What’s your name? |
| 13. | Chamo-me … | My name is … |
| 14. | Tenho trinta e três anos | I’m 33 years old |
| 15. | Sou da Suécia | I am from Sweden |
| 16. | Vivo em Estocolmo | I live in Stockholm |
| 17. | Prazer em conhecer | Nice to meet you |
| 18. | Igualmente | The same |
Instead of saying Chamo-me Sofia you may as well say Sou a Sofia (with the verb Ser), just as you’d say in English My name is … or I am …. You will also hear Moro em Lisboa instead of Vivo em Lisboa since the verbs Morar and Viver can be used interchangeably in this context.
In Portugal, it is common to address people using the 3-person (você, o senhor, a senhora) especially when you don’t know them well. Among friends and relatives, though, we usually use the 2-person (tu). The verb endings change accordingly.
Get your feet wet in Portuguese grammar: Dabbling in Portuguese Grammar – First Impressions for Beginners.
| 19. | Por favor! or Desculpe! | Excuse me! |
| 20. | Desculpe! or Perdão! | I am sorry! |
| 21. | Queria … | I would like to have … |
| 22. | Onde fica … ? | Where is … ? |
| 23. | Obrigado/a | Thanks |
| 24. | De nada | You’re welcome |
| 25. | Sim | Yes |
| 26. | Não | No |
| 27. | Talvez | Perhaps |
We often swallow consonant and vowel sounds when we speak and the word Obrigado is a good example. So, don’t be surprised if you hear ~brigado instead.
You’ve probably noticed that Portuguese sounds are quite nasal. For instance, words that end in -ão or -m such as Não and Sim produce nasal sounds.
Dive deeper into Portuguese phonology: Portuguese Pronunciation: A Helpful Guide to Portuguese Basic Sounds and Spelling Patterns.
| 28. | Não falo Português | I don’t speak Portuguese |
| 29 | Falo um pouco de Português | I can speak a little Portuguese |
| 30. | Fala Inglês? | You speak English? |
| 31. | Não percebi | I didn’t understand |
| 32. | Um momento, por favor | Just a moment please |
| 33. | Pode repetir? | Can you say that again? |
| 34. | Pode falar mais devagar? | Can you speak slower? |
| 35. | O que significa … ? | What does it mean … ? |
The expressions above are useful when you are interacting with native speakers. People will, in general, be happy to talk to you, but they might as well forget that they need to slow it down in order for you to understand. So, never shy from asking Pode falar mais devagar?
The verbs Perceber, Entender, Compreender are all synonyms. If someone says Não percebi/entendi/compreendi to you, that means that he or she didn’t understand you.
Speaking of clarity, sometimes you may need to spell out a word, or other people may do it for you. Here’s something to help you with that: The Portuguese Alphabet: Spelling in Portuguese from A to Z.
| 1. um/uma | 12. doze | […] |
| 2. dois/duas | 13. treze | 30. trinta |
| 3. três | 14. catorze | 40. quarenta |
| 4. quatro | 15. quinze | 50. cinquenta |
| 5. cinco | 16. dezasseis | 60. sessenta |
| 6. seis | 17. dezassete | 70. setenta |
| 7. sete | 18. dezoito | 80. oitenta |
| 8. oito | 19. dezanove | 90. noventa |
| 9. nove | 20. vinte | 100. cem |
| 10. dez | 21. vinte e um | 103. mil |
| 11. onze | 22. vinte e dois | 106. milhão |
Notice that the first two numbers have their endings changed according to gender: um carro but uma mesa; dois carros but duas mesas.
Become a pro with counting in Portuguese: Numbers in Portuguese: counting from 1 to infinity
Last but not least. If you are serious about learning Portuguese, you will want to click on the link below. See, there’s nothing more practical than a solid learning strategy: Mindsets and Strategies to Learn Portuguese the Best.
Break Free from the Tyranny of the Present Tense
Stay tuned for upcoming online courses and other learning materials.