Portuguese phrases for travelers in Brazil

At a glance

How Brazilian Portuguese sounds

Brazilian Portuguese is softer and more open than the Portuguese of Lisbon, and in Rio it has its own accent. A few patterns help you read words out loud:

• lh sounds like “ly” (trabalho: tra-BA-lyo), nh like “ny” (amanhã: a-ma-NYAH).
• ão is a nasal “own” said through the nose (não: nown).
• r at the start of a word sounds close to an English “h” (Rio: HEE-oo).
• In Rio, s before a consonant or at the end of a word often becomes “sh” (mais: maish).
• te and de at the end of a word usually sound like “chee” and “jee” (noite: NOY-chee, cidade: see-DAH-jee).

Our pronunciation hints below are rough English spellings, not phonetic script. People will understand you even with a heavy accent, and any attempt gets a friendly reaction.

Greetings and polite basics

“Tudo bem?” works as a greeting in almost every situation. The usual reply is “Tudo, e você?” (fine, and you?).

Taxi, ride apps and getting around

Ride apps show the address in writing, which saves you from explaining it. For taxis and drivers, these help:

• Para o hotel …, por favor. To the … hotel, please.
• Pode parar aqui? Can you stop here?
• À direita / à esquerda / em frente. Right / left / straight on.
• Quanto tempo leva? How long does it take?
• Onde fica …? Where is …?
• Estação de metrô (metro station), ponto de ônibus (bus stop), aeroporto (airport).

For how the metro, buses and ride apps work, see our page on getting around Rio.

Restaurants, bars and the beach

At the beach you will hear vendors call out their products. “Quanto é?” (how much is it?) and “Não, obrigado” (no, thanks) are enough. To rent a chair or umbrella, ask for “uma cadeira” or “um guarda-sol”. For dishes worth ordering, see Brazilian food.

Shops and markets

• Quanto custa? How much does it cost?
• Posso pagar com cartão? Can I pay by card?
• Tem outro tamanho / outra cor? Do you have another size / colour?
• Só estou olhando. I’m just looking.
• Nota fiscal: the official receipt. Ask for it when you buy gems or anything you may need to show later.

Health and emergencies

The US State Department lists 190 for the police, 192 for an ambulance and 193 for the fire department, and notes that medical staff may speak little or no English. Write these down with your hotel address:

For official advice and what to do after a theft, see our Rio safety tips.

Words you will hear in Rio

• Carioca: someone (or something) from the city of Rio.
• Valeu: thanks, cheers. Very common and informal.
• Beleza?: all good? Answer “beleza”.
• Legal: cool, nice (it does not mean “legal” here).
• Já é: deal, done.
• Partiu!: let’s go.
• Moço / moça: how you call a waiter or attendant politely.

False friends to watch

• Puxe on a door means pull, empurre means push.
• Pasta is a folder or a paste, not food. Pasta on a menu is “massa”.
• Esquisito means strange, not exquisite.
• Assistir means to watch (a show, a match).
• Pretender means to intend.

When phrases are not enough

A phrase list gets you a coffee and a taxi. It will not explain the history of a samba school, sort out a mix-up at a hotel or talk to a doctor for you. On a private tour in Rio or a private driver day, we arrange a guide or driver who speaks your language, and our team stays your single contact during the trip.

What to tell us in your request

• Your dates and the cities you will visit
• Number of travelers and ages of any children
• The language you want the guide or driver to speak
• What you need: tours, transfers, a driver for the day, help on the spot
• Any medical or dietary needs we should pass on (no documents needed)

Terms and payment are set out in the proposal; you pay nothing before you confirm. Check entry requirements on official websites.