This is a phrasebook and a map of Portuguese sentences in one page. First, 139 phrases for the situations you meet first, each with a play button and a note on when to use it. Then 27 sentence patterns, the frames that most everyday sentences are built on. Last, a one-page survival sheet you can print or keep on your phone.
Your device has no Portuguese voice, so the play buttons are hidden.
- Who it is for
- Learners of Portuguese (português) from English who want to say basic things correctly and politely, from the first trip onwards.
- What it gives you
- 139 phrases in 12 topics, 27 sentence patterns filterable by level, and a printable survival sheet.
- Comes after
- Any time; it pairs well with Portuguese 1: Sounds & Spelling (37/31), Portuguese 2: The Present Tense (37/32), Portuguese 3: Ser, Estar, Ter, Ir, Fazer, plus Articles & Contractions (37/33), Portuguese 4: Your First 150 Words (37/34).
- Leads to
- Words by Level to fill the patterns with words, and Verb Tables to get the verbs right.
- Honest line
- Phrases learned whole get you through a day; patterns get you through a conversation. You need both, and you need to say them aloud.
Phrases by topic
Pick a topic. Each phrase has a note on formality: who you can say it to, and where a region says it differently. When in doubt with a stranger, choose the polite form; nobody minds being treated with respect.
The phrase list needs JavaScript; the survival sheet below works without it.
Sentence patterns
A pattern is a frame you can fill with your own words. Each one below shows the structure, an example you can play, its translation and a note on the catch. Filter by level to see what to learn first: the A1 patterns are enough to ask, answer, refuse and want things; A2 adds the past and comparisons; B1 adds opinions, wishes and conditions.
Practising out loud
- Shadow the phrases. Play one, then say it at the same speed, twice. Your mouth learns the rhythm before your head learns the grammar.
- Swap one word. Take a pattern and change one piece: a different place, a different person, a different time. Ten variations of one frame teach more than ten new frames.
- Learn the repair phrases first. Sorry?, more slowly and how do you say…? keep a conversation going when everything else fails.
- Mind the formality. Use the polite forms with strangers, older people and at work until someone invites you to switch.
Survival sheet
The phrases you would want on a card in your pocket on a first trip, on one page. Print it, or take a screenshot.
Portuguese survival sheet · The Default Library
- Olá / OiHello / Hi
- Bom diaGood morning
- Boa tardeGood afternoon
- Boa noiteGood evening / Good night
- Tudo bem?How are you?
- Como vai? / Como você está?How are you? (fuller)
- Tudo bem, obrigado. E você?I'm fine, thanks. And you?
- Tchau!Bye!
- Até logo / Até maisSee you later
- Até amanhãSee you tomorrow
- Bom fim de semanaHave a good weekend
- Como você se chama? / Qual é o seu nome?What's your name?
- Meu nome é Ana / Eu me chamo AnaMy name is Ana
- Prazer! / Muito prazerNice to meet you
- De onde você é?Where are you from?
- Sou da InglaterraI'm from England
- Moro em LondresI live in London
- Sou enfermeiraI'm a nurse
- Quantos anos você tem?How old are you?
- Estou aprendendo portuguêsI'm learning Portuguese
- Você fala inglês?Do you speak English?
- Que horas são?What time is it?
- É uma horaIt's one o'clock
- São três horasIt's three o'clock
- São duas e meiaIt's half past two
- A que horas?At what time?
- Às oitoAt eight
- Que dia é hoje?What day is it today?
- Hoje é dia cincoToday is the fifth
- Onde fica o banheiro?Where is the bathroom?
- É longe?Is it far?
- É perto daquiIt's near here
- Siga em frenteGo straight on
- Vire à direitaTurn right
- Vire à esquerdaTurn left
- Quanto custa? / Quanto é?How much is it?
- Eu queria esteI'd like this one
- Tem em outro tamanho?Do you have it in another size?
- Posso pagar com cartão?Can I pay by card?
- Só estou olhando, obrigadoJust looking, thanks
Free to share with credit: The Default Library, CC BY 4.0.
Printing keeps only the sheet. In the reading app, take a screenshot instead.
What sticks
- A handful of whole phrases carries you through greetings, shops, transport and emergencies.
- Patterns are frames: learn the structure once and fill it with any words you know.
- Use the polite form with strangers; the notes tell you where regions differ.
- The repair phrases (sorry?, slower, how do you say…?) are the most useful sentences you will learn.
- Say everything aloud; play, repeat, swap one word, repeat.
Learn the survival phrases whole, learn the patterns as frames, and practise both aloud until they come without translating.
Try this: pick three A1 patterns and make five true sentences with each about your own day, out loud.
Sources. Phrases and patterns written for this page; regional notes name the variety, never rank it.