Travel: Is there any other activity that demands so much planning, money, and time…or that generates so many interesting and fulfilling discoveries?

Yes, traveling can be both a pleasure and a challenge. Leisure in newfound places walks hand in hand with language and cultural barriers. Learning Portuguese basics for travel can be helpful, but it might not be enough to help you generate a truly rich and comfortable experience.

There are many sources online with common Portuguese travel phrases, but many of them fail to illustrate the nuances of the daily vernacular you’ll actually be hearing on your trip. It’s not uncommon to learn some Portuguese travel phrases but neglect to brush up on local manners and signs of politeness. After all, there are many unspoken rules and other subtleties to be mindful of…

In this article, we’ll present to you a list of Portuguese travel phrases that go beyond the basics. This includes some less common phrases as well as cultural information that will allow you to speak in a more flexible and comprehensive manner during your travels in Brazil!

Table of Contents

1. Basic Portuguese for Travel
2. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Transportation
3. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Shopping
4. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Restaurants
5. Asking for and Giving Directions
6. Emergencies
7. Flattery Phrases
8. Useful Phrases to Go Through Language Problems
9. Conclusion

1. Basic Portuguese for Travel

To travel in Portuguese-speaking countries, one must be well-equipped with some fundamental words and expressions.

A- Greetings

Because first impressions are very important, let’s start with some concise greetings. 

• Oi! – “Hi!”
• Olá! – “Hello!”
• Bom dia. – “Good morning.”
• Boa tarde. – “Good afternoon.”
• Boa noite. – “Good evening.”

B- Informal greetings

Friends often greet each other in a very casual manner. 

These phrases sound caring, but they’re not always met with answers or reciprocity. In fact, their informal meaning is closer to “hi,” or even just to signal that you see the other person. Generally, you’ll use these phrases to greet people with whom you’ve had plenty of interactions already.

• Tudo bem? – “How are you doing?”
• Beleza? – “Howdy?”
• E aí? – “What’s up?”
• Salve! – “Ay!”

C- Short answers

Essential communication is at the core of basic Portuguese phrases for travel. Therefore, these short answers will come in handy in a variety of situations.

• Sim – “Yes”
• Não – “No”
• Talvez – “Maybe”
• Pode ser? – “Why not?”
• Eu gostei. / Eu não gostei. – “I liked it.” / “I didn’t like it.” 
• Bom – “Good”
• Ruim – “Bad”
• Bem – “Well” 
• Mal – “Badly”

D- Being polite

Learning some basic etiquette rules can make a big difference in how you’re received when approaching people during your travels. Being polite to a friend, a host, or a stranger shows them that you care to interact properly according to local customs—and this might make them more open to helping you.

• Obrigado. (male) / Obrigada. (female) – “Thank you.”
• Me desculpe. – “I’m sorry.” 
  • Often, people simply say desculpa, which is informal.  
• Peço perdão. – “I beg your pardon.”
  • This is a less common and more formal expression.
• Com licença. – “Excuse me.”
• Por favor. – “Please.”
• Prazer em conhecê-lo. (male) / Prazer em conhecê-la. (female) – “Pleased to meet you.”

Finally, here’s a bonus phrase you’ll definitely need when traveling in a Portuguese-speaking country:

• Você pode tirar uma foto minha, por favor? – “Would you please take a picture of me?”

2. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Transportation

Whether you depend on taxis, subways, trains, or buses for transportation, you can count on the following phrases:

A- Taxi, please!

• Vamos para a [Avenida Presidente Vargas], por favor. – “We are heading to [Presidente Vargas Avenue] please.”
• Você aceita cartão de crédito? – “Do you accept credit card?”
• Você pode esperar um minuto, por favor? – “Could you hold on for a minute, please?”
• Vamos fazer uma parada em outro lugar antes. – “We’re making a stop-by in another place first.”
• Aqui está bom. – “Here is fine.”

Taxis are often an expensive form of transportation in Brazil, though the recent diffusion of ride apps has pushed fare prices down in the last couple of years.  

B- Traveling by bus

A mere bus can take you to so many places…

• Pode me avisar quando estiver perto do [Parque do Ibirapuera]? – “Would you let me know when we get close to [Ibirapuera Park]?”
• Em que ponto eu desço para chegar no [Elevador Lacerda]? – “Where should I get off to get to [Lacerda Elevator]?”
• Quero visitar o [MASP]. Quanto tempo demora até lá? – “I’d like to visit [MASP]. How long does it take until we reach it?”
• Você tem troco para vinte reais? – “May I have change for twenty reais?”
• Este ônibus vai até a estação de metrô/estação de trem? – “Does this bus get to the subway/train station?”
• Até que horas este ônibus funciona? – “When does this bus stop?”

The bus is the most common form of public transportation in Brazilian cities and between municipalities. Commercial flights are not an affordable option for long-distance travel for most of the country’s population.

Some cities offer air-conditioned buses, and some places also have vans and microbuses for public transportation, which are called micro-ônibus or peruas.

C- Riding the train

• Onde eu posso comprar o bilhete? – “Where can I buy a ticket?”
• Eu vou querer dois bilhetes, por favor. – “Two tickets, please.”
• A que horas passa o ultimo trem? – “When does the last train arrive?”
• De que lado fica a saída para a rua [Domingos de Moraes]? – “How can I get from here to [Domingos de Moraes] street?”
• Onde fica o mapa das linhas do metrô? – “Where is the map of the subway lines?”
• Esta é a linha verde do metrô? – “Is this the green subway line?”
• Esta é a plataforma correta para ir até [o Flamengo]? – “Is this the right platform to [Flamengo]?”

Trains in Brazil are reserved for urban and freight transportation only. The railways were a popular long-distance transport decades ago, before cars became popular in the country.

3. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Shopping

So many options to choose from, so many phrases to learn… Don’t panic, let’s be practical.

Our social interactions while shopping tend to be brief and no-nonsense, so an elaborate vocabulary isn’t necessary to get what you need. For example: If you spot a nice fruit, you can point at it, ask for the price using gestures, and finish the purchase. Or, if shopping online, you could use a digital translator.

On the other hand, it might not always turn out this way. Buying a gift for a friend in a foreign country, for instance, could be confusing. It’s not always easy to explain your interests or to formulate questions to a native speaker.  

Here are just a few survival phrases in Portuguese for making the most of your trip to the store or mall: 

• Quanto custa isto? – “How much does it cost?”
• Qual peça você recomenda? – “What piece/item do you recommend?”
• Qual é a lembrança mais popular da loja? – “What is this store’s most popular souvenir?”
• Vocês aceitam pagamento por PayPal? – “Can I use PayPal for payment?”
• O preço está em reais ou em dólares? – “Is the pricing in reais or in dollars?”
• Você tem esta camiseta em tamanho médio? – “Does this T-shirt come in medium size?”
• Será que este item chega até terça-feira? – “Might this item be in stock by Tuesday?”

4. Portuguese Travel Phrases for Restaurants

The most common activity we can all relate to? Eating. Whether you’re ordering food or asking your waiter/waitress a question, this basic Portuguese travel phrases list for restaurants has got you covered. 

• Uma mesa para quatro, por favor. – “Table for four, please.”
• Posso ver o menu, por favor? – “May I see the menu, please?”
• Água, por favor. – “Water, please.”
• Uma cerveja, por favor. – “Beer, please.”
• Um copo de suco de laranja, por favor. – “A glass of orange juice, please.”
• Vocês têm opções vegetarianas/veganas? – “Do you have vegetarian/vegan options?”
• A sobremesa está inclusa? – “Does it include the dessert?”
• Sou alérgico a glúten. (male) / Sou alérgica a glúten. (female) – “I am allergic to gluten.”
• Garçom! – “Waiter!”
• Garçonete! – “Waitress!”
• Pode dividir a conta em dois? – “Would you split the bill?”
• Está delicioso! – “It’s delicious!”
• Como se chama este prato? – “What do you call this dish?”
• Não acredito que isso é peixe… – “I can’t believe it’s fish…”

5. Asking for and Giving Directions

How can I get to Christ, the Redeemer?

Some of the most important Portuguese phrases for travelers are those used to ask for and give directions. Finding yourself lost with no means of communication never makes for a nice vacation or business trip! 

• Onde fica o banheiro? – “Where is the toilet?”
• A estação [Santa Cruz] fica aqui perto? – “Is [Santa Cruz] station nearby?”
• Onde fica a estação de metrô mais próxima? – “Where is the nearest metro station?”
• Pode me dizer para que lado é o Jardim Botânico? – “Could you tell me which way to Jardim Botânico?”
• Como eu faço para chegar ao [Cristo Redentor]? – “How can I get to [Christ, the Redeemer]?”
• Vire à direita. – “Turn right.”
• Vire à esquerda. – “Turn left.”
• Siga em frente. – “Go ahead.”
• Siga reto. – “Go straight.”
• Atravesse a rua. – “Cross the street.”
• Para o outro lado – “To the other side”

6. Emergencies

To get help, one must learn to ask for it.

Travels are full of discoveries and opportunities for adventure. Of course, there’s always room for unexpected events…some of which might not be pleasant. Here are some crucial Portuguese basics for travel to help you out in an emergency: 

• Ajuda, por favor! – “Help, please!”
• Você pode me ajudar? – “Can you help me?”
• Chame uma ambulância. – “Call an ambulance.”
• Chame a polícia. – “Call the police.”
• Chame os bombeiros. – “Call the firemen.”
• Tem algum médico aqui? – “Is there a doctor around here?”
• Perdi meu passaporte. – “I lost my passport.”
• Roubaram minha carteira. – “Someone stole my wallet.”

The most useful emergency numbers for travelers in Brazil are:

Police: Call 190 to report emergencies, and 197 to make inquiries and give information to the police.

Medical ambulance: Medical emergencies can be reported through calls to 192.

Fire service: Call 193.

Don’t forget to read our vocabulary list for useful phone call phrases, so you can act correctly on the spot if needed. Also, check the emergency phone numbers in Portugal and Angola.

7. Flattery Phrases

Embrace the confetti and throw some of it too: it makes people happier.

Flattery often pays off for tourists and foreigners. Pick people from any culture you want: they’ll most likely react in a positive way to flattery, especially if it’s genuine. To use a Brazilian expression for this universal vanity: Everyone likes to get some confetti thrown at them.

So, basic Portuguese travel phrases for flattery might open doors and build bridges between people! You can use them at the gym, during a meeting with friends, on a date, or in other contexts. Just use them at your discretion.

• As pessoas no Brasil são muito gentis. – “People in Brazil are very kind.”
• Eu adoro os brasileiros. – “I love Brazilians.”
• Eu gosto muito da comida portuguesa. – “I like Portuguese food very much.”
• Eu amo Angola. – “I love Angola.”
• Eu amo o seu país. – “I love your country.”
• Quero ser seu amigo. (male) / amiga. (female) Você tem Instagram? – “I want to be your friend. Do you use Instagram?”
• Eu quero morar aqui. – “I want to live here.”
• Você é lindo! (male) / Você é linda! (female) – “You are pretty!”

8. Useful Phrases to Go Through Language Problems

One common error that learners of a foreign language make is “overthinking” instead of talking intuitively, because they want to speak everything perfectly. This pretension might be an obstacle to developing oral fluency.

Sometimes, just learning the phrases isn’t enough and we need to ask native speakers for help. But why not at least do it correctly and in the foreign language? This self-improving and humble attitude is very constructive toward a speedier learning process.

• Você fala inglês? – “Can you speak English?”
• Não estou te entendendo. – “I don’t understand you.”
• Pode repetir? – “Can you repeat?”
• Fale mais devagar, por favor. – “Please speak slowly.”
• Você pode escrever, por favor? – “Would you write it down, please?”
• Como se lê isto? – “How do you read this?”
• Você pode soletrar para mim? – “Could you spell it out for me?”
• Eu não falo português muito bem. – “I don’t speak Portuguese very well.”
• Eu não falo nada de português. – “I don’t speak Portuguese at all.”

9. Conclusion

In this article, you learned a lot of basic Portuguese travel phrases that will keep you busy for some time and hopefully provide you with good cultural insight. The best part is that you have access to these expressions for free—all it takes is a few clicks or taps on your computer or cellphone. 

It’s a good idea to write down these expressions and practice them often. Indeed, reading and understanding content is nice, but active learning is the best way to build complex knowledge.

Are there any travel phrases you would still like to know or a situation we didn’t cover? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll get back to you! 

PortuguesePod101 provides many resources that are guaranteed to put you on a thrilling and productive learning path. Apart from vocabulary lists that are easy to consult and focused on practical situations, PortuguesePod101 provides a variety of multimedia lessons and content for Portuguese learners at every level. By subscribing to a Premium PLUS account, you also gain access to private lessons to boost your conversation skills and help you absorb important cultural information.

Check out PortuguesePod101’s resources for free and take your Portuguese studies to the next level!

Making mistakes is a part of life. There’s no way around it, and that’s why knowing how to apologize is a must. Whether we inadvertently make a mistake or say something we didn’t mean, saying “I’m sorry” is always necessary. It doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to do, but it’s something we have to deal with.

Now that you’re learning a new language, it’s also a good idea to expand your vocabulary and include ways to say sorry in Portuguese. After all, mistakes in pronunciation, word choice, or comprehension is a part of the process. That’s totally okay! By using the right words to apologize, you can make the process smoother.

As you gain more experience with the Portuguese language, there will be more situations in which you might need to apologize and take responsibility. It might be at work, with a friend, or even to offer condolences. Whatever the circumstances, after reading this guide, you’ll know the best ways to apologize in Portuguese!

Table of Contents

1. The Most Important Words for Apologizing
2. Taking the Blame
3. Work and Business Situations
4. Offering Your Condolences
5. How to Forgive
6. Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

Mil desculpas! (“I’m sorry a thousand times!”)

1. The Most Important Words for Apologizing

How do you say sorry in Portuguese? If you want the most straightforward way, you can go with desculpa. However, there are plenty of other useful words and phrases you can use. 

Desculpa (“Sorry”)

This word can be used in a few different ways, as shown in the examples below. 

• Desculpa! (“Sorry!”)

You can simply say desculpa after saying something you regret, bumping into someone, or breaking a glass at your friend’s house.

• Me desculpa. (“Sorry.” / “Forgive me.”)
• Você me desculpa? (“Do you forgive me?”)
• Desculpe a demora. (“I’m sorry for the delay.”)

Desculpe sounds more formal in Brazil. It can also appear in the form me desculpe (“forgive me,” “I’m sorry”). 

• Peço desculpas. (“I apologize.”)

Another alternative for more formal settings.

• Desculpa aí, esqueci completamente de te ligar. (“Sorry, I totally forgot to call you.”)

Using the word aí (“there”) makes the apology sound very informal. You can use the phrase above when talking to your friends, for example.

• Desculpa, você sabe que horas são? (“Excuse me, do you know what time it is?”)

/! Note that, if you opt to use the more formal version of desculpe, you’ll have to pay attention to the number of people you’re apologizing to.  Talking to one person: Me desculpe, esqueci do nosso almoço. (“I’m sorry, I forgot about our lunch.”) Talking to two or more people:  Me desculpem, esqueci do nosso almoço. (“I’m sorry, I forgot about our lunch.”) Listen to and read along with a real-life example of how to apologize to multiple people in this lesson by PortuguesePod101.

And because Brazilians love some exaggeration, you can make your apologies really clear by adding “a thousand” to it.

• Mil desculpas! (“I am sorry a thousand times!”) 

Drag the i in mil (miiiil desculpas), and you have a heartfelt apology! This is an informal way to say “I’m sorry.”

Did you just say you’re sorry?

Other Useful Words

For more variety, you can add these additional Portuguese words for sorry to your vocabulary.

Perdão (“Pardon”)

Perdão is definitely used less often than desculpa, but you might still hear it in Brazil.

• Ai, perdão! (“Oh, sorry!”) 

If you’ve just dropped something on someone’s foot, for example, you might say this.

• Me perdoa, por favor! (“Forgive me, please!”)

Now, if you hurt someone’s feelings or have offended them in some way, me perdoa is a good choice.

Com licença (“Excuse me”)

Do you need to ask someone for directions? Or maybe pass on a narrow corridor? Then use com licença (“excuse me”). 

• Com licença, você pode me ajudar? (“Excuse me, can you help me?”)
• Com licença, posso passar rapidinho? (“Excuse me, could I just squeeze past?”)
• Com licença. (“Excuse me.”)

You don’t need to add anything else if you’re just asking to pass or if you need some space in a crowded place. 

Foi mal (“My bad”)

This is by far the most informal way to say “I’m sorry.” Use it with your close friends to sound like a native Portuguese speaker! 

• Foi mal, não trouxe sua camiseta. (“Sorry, I didn’t bring your T-shirt.”)

This way of apologizing works best for small mishaps. Foi mal isn’t a good option when you’ve just crashed your best friend’s brand-new car, for example!

Emphasize it

Here are some ways to show that you’re very sorry in Portuguese:

• Me desculpa mesmo. (“I’m really sorry.”) 
• Sério, foi mal. (“For real, I’m sorry.”)
• Mil desculpas, de verdade. (“I’m sorry a thousand times, really.”)

Foi minha culpa, me desculpa, amor! (“It was my fault, forgive me, love!”)

➜ Check out this vocabulary list to see more common ways to say sorry and practice your pronunciation with PortuguesePod101!

2. Taking the Blame

Sometimes we have to own up to our mistakes. That means taking the responsibility—or even the blame—for things that go wrong. 

Take the Responsibility

Acknowledging that you’re guilty of hurting someone or are responsible for a mistake will help you grow!

• Minha culpa (“My fault”)
  • Foi minha culpa, não tranquei a porta. (“It was my fault, I didn’t lock the door.”)
  • É minha culpa, não dela. (“It’s my fault, not hers.”)

• Assumir a responsabilidade (“Take the responsibility”)
  • Eu assumo toda a responsabilidade por este erro. (“I take all the responsibility for this mistake.”)

• Eu não devia ter dito isso. (“I shouldn’t have said that.”)

Sometimes you also need to explain what happened. In this case, you can say:

• Foi minha culpa, eu não sabia que… (“It was my fault, I didn’t know that…”)
• Foi minha culpa, eu pensei que… (“It was my fault, I thought that…”)

State Your Case

What about when it’s not really your fault or you didn’t mean it?

• Não foi minha culpa. (“It wasn’t my fault.”)
• Foi sem querer! (“I didn’t mean it!”)
• Não foi por mal. (“I meant no harm.”)

Own Up to Your Mistake, Brazilian Style

Here are a few more phrases you can use to apologize in Brazilian Portuguese like a native. These are informal and colloquial ways of admitting that you made a mistake.

• Eu estraguei tudo. (“I messed it all up.”)
• Pisei na bola. (“I made a mistake.”)
• Errei feio. (“I made a big mistake.”)

Me desculpa, de verdade. (“I’m sorry, really.”)

➜ Check out this lesson about apologizing to your significant other on PortuguesePod101.com.

3. Work and Business Situations

In business settings or at work, you can use most of the words we’ve already seen to say sorry in Portuguese. The best options are me desculpe (“I’m sorry”), peço desculpas (“I apologize”), and eu assumo a responsabilidade (“I take the responsibility”).

Not Happening Again

Besides apologizing, you should also learn how to say that you won’t make the same mistake again in the future.

• Isto não vai se repetir. (“This is not going to happen again.”)
• Não vai acontecer novamente. (“It won’t happen again.”)
• Prometo que nunca mais faço isso. (“I promise I won’t do it again.”)

Spell it Out

At work, you might also need to email an apology to your colleagues. If that happens, you can use these sentences:

• Peço desculpas a todos. (“I apologize to you all.”)
• Eu gostaria de me desculpar com a equipe. (“I would like to apologize to the team.”)

Apologies in Customer Service

There’s another word that means “sorry” in Portuguese, but it’s used mainly in customer service: lamento (“I’m sorry”). You might hear it when dealing with a bank, trying to reach customer support on the phone, or when shopping in Brazil. 

• Lamentamos informar que… (“We regret to inform you that…”)
• Lamento senhor, não estamos abertos aos domingos. (“I’m sorry sir, we are not open on Sundays.”)

Lastly, you might also hear businesses apologizing to customers in the following ways:

• Por favor, aceite nossas desculpas. (“Please, accept our apologies.”)
• Pedimos desculpas por qualquer inconveniência causada. (“We apologize for any inconvenience caused.”)

Lamento, não temos mais ingressos para este filme. (“I’m sorry, we don’t have tickets available for this movie anymore.”)

➜ Do you want to hear more tips on apologizing in Portuguese? This video by PortuguesePod101 is a perfect tool to learn more on the topic and practice your listening!

4. Offering Your Condolences

” ‘Sinto muito’ e ‘me desculpe’ são intercambiáveis, exceto em um funeral.” (” ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I apologize’ usually mean the same thing, except at a funeral.”) – Demetri Martin 

The quote above is a light-hearted way to remember one thing: Sometimes, it’s better to stick to the norm! That’s very true for whenever you find yourself in a sad situation in which you need to express your condolences to an acquaintance or close friend.

Here are some of the formal sentences you can use:

• Meus pêsames pela sua perda. (“My condolences for your loss.”)
• Minhas sinceras condolências. (“My sincere condolences.”)
• Lamento sua perda. (“I’m sorry for your loss.”)

With close friends, you can say:

• Sinto muito pela sua perda. (“I’m really sorry for your loss.”)
• Fiquei muito triste de saber sobre… (“I was very sorry to hear about…”)

And, of course, don’t forget to offer support in this difficult moment. 

• Conta comigo para o que precisar. (“Count on me for whatever you need.”)
• Se precisar de qualquer coisa, estou aqui. (“If you need anything, I’m here.”)
• Se eu puder te ajudar de qualquer jeito, me avisa. (“If I can help you in any way, let me know.”)

5. How to Forgive

Now that you know all of the ways to apologize and say sorry in Portuguese, here are some ways to answer apology requests. After all, forgiving is good for your health and for your social well-being!

The options at the bottom of this list are the most informal ones, while the ones at the top can be used in pretty much any situation.

• Estas coisas acontecem. (“These things happen.”)
• Não se preocupe. (“Don’t worry.”)
• Não foi nada. (“It was nothing.”)
• Está desculpado. (“You’re forgiven.”)
• Tudo bem. (“It’s alright.”) 
• Sem problemas. (“No problems.”)
• Esquece. (“Forget it.”)

Intonation matters in that last one, so be sure to sound friendly to convey that there’s nothing to worry about.

• Ah, que isso. (“Oh, of course.”)

In this case, the meaning conveyed is “don’t worry about it” or “it was my pleasure,” when said with a playful and friendly intonation.

Forgiveness is an important part of happy relationships.

6. Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

We hope that after reading this article, you feel ready to apologize with ease and smooth things over at any time! Learning how to say sorry in Portuguese will be a handy skill as you navigate the journey of learning a new language. This is also a helpful guide you can come back to whenever you find yourself in a situation where apologies—or forgiveness—are needed. 

We would love to hear your thoughts on this article! Did we miss any important words for apologizing in Portuguese? Let us know in the comments. 

And now, it’s time to put it into practice. To start, you can check out these tips to remember words better. Or go ahead and choose a vocabulary list to study or discover another free resource on PortuguesePod101.com.

If you want to take your learning experience further, members of PortuguesePod101.com get access to the largest language lesson library in the world, with thousands of real lessons by real teachers. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from anywhere, feel motivated, and be ready to speak Portuguese with confidence.

Happy Portuguese learning!

Did you know that Brazil is the country with the fourth-largest number of Internet users in the world? Take that huge number of people online, add to it the natural creativity and humor of Brazilians, and you get a whole new world of Portuguese slang and expressions!

Some Brazilian internet slang is more common with the younger crowds, while other slang phrases are used by people of all ages. Besides that, many expressions born online and in memes end up in the daily vocabulary of Brazilians, even if just for a few months. In this article, we’ll focus more on long-lasting expressions, abbreviations, and slang words. But if you’re curious enough, you can always continue keeping up-to-date with new memes and engage with Portuguese speakers online.

To make sure you’re up-to-speed with all the abbreviations, codes, and expressions in the Brazilian internet scene, be sure to check this guide and come back whenever you need to. After going through this guide, you’ll be able to handle your internet-based conversations and understand all the Brazilian online gírias, or “slang,” like a local!

Table of Contents

1. Abbreviations Used in Portuguese Texting
2. Laughing the Brazilian Way
3. Portuguese Internet Slang Derived from English
4. Internet Slangs Popular on Social Media
5. Popular Emojis in Brazil
6. Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

1. Abbreviations Used in Portuguese Texting

Vc tá no trabalho hj? ( “Are you at work today?” )

Texting is all about speed in Brazil. Abbreviations are everywhere, since they make it much quicker to write sentences. In Portuguese, it works the same way it does in English: we make the words smaller by substituting whole syllables for just one or two letters.

1 – Basic Words

The most commonly used abbreviations in Portuguese text slang are used by people of all ages in Brazil, and can be seen everywhere online from social media comments to Whatsapp messages. Considering the huge number of Brazilians connected to the internet, chances are you’ll encounter these abbreviations in your next text conversation!

Abbreviation	Stands for	Translation	Example
vc / cê / c	você	“You” [singular]	Vc vai? “Are you going?”
vcs	vocês	“You” [plural]	Vcs já sabem “You already know.”
ñ / n	não	“No”	Ñ sei “I don’t know.”
bj / bjo	beijo	“Kiss”	Manda um bj pra ele “Send him a kiss.”
bjs / bjos	beijos	“Kisses”	Tchau, bjos “Bye, kisses.”
bjks	beijocas	“Small kisses”	Até mais, bjks “See you, kisses.”
td	tudo	“All” / “Everything”	Td bem? “How are you?”
mt	muito	“A lot” / “Very” / “Much” / “Many”	Mt lindo “Very beautiful”
oq	o quê	“What”	Vai fazer oq amanhã? “What will you do tomorrow?”
q	que	“That”	Ele disse q não viria “He said that he wouldn’t come.”
pq	por que / por quê / porque / porquê	“Why” / “Because”	E pq ele não veio? “Why didn’t he come?”
sdd / sdds	saudade / saudades	There isn’t a translation for this word! But it means something similar to “miss you.”	Oi amiga, sdds! “Hi friend, miss you.”
kd	cadê	“Where”	Kd vc, não te vejo! “Where are you, I can’t see you!”
tbm / tb	também	“Too” / “As well”	Eu vou tbm “I’ll go too.”
vdd	verdade	“True”	É vdd? “Is it true?”
ctz	certeza	“Certain” / “For sure”	É vdd, ctz “It’s true, for sure.”
cmg	comigo	“With me”	Ela tá cmg “She is with me.”
ctg	contigo	“With you”	Ele tá ctg? “Is he with you?”
ngn	ninguém	“No one”	Não tem ngn na aula “There is no one in class.”
qto	quanto	“How much”	Qto custa? “How much does it cost?”
qdo / qnd / qd	quando	“When”	Qdo vamos? “When are we going?”
gnt	gente	“People” / “Guys”	Tem mt gnt aqui “There are a lot of people here.” Gnt, vamos! “Guys, let’s go!”
msm	mesmo	“Same”	Digo o msm “I say the same.”
add	adicionar	“To add” (on social media)	Me add no Face “Add me on Facebook.”
qq	qualquer	“Any”	Eu posso ir qq hora “I can go any time.”
hj	hoje	“Today”	Hj é feriado “Today is a holiday.”
eh	é	“Is”	A festa eh hj? “Is the party today?”
neh	né	“Isn’t it”	Legal, neh? “Cool, isn’t it?”
soh	só	“Only” / “Just” / “Alone”	Soh curiosidade “Just curiosity”
d+	demais	“Cool” / “Awesome” / “Too much”	Que d+ “That’s awesome.” Sdds d+ “Miss you too much.”
t+	até mais	“See you soon”	Beijos, t+ “Kisses, see you.”
uau	onomatopoeia	“Wow”	Uau, sério? “Wow, really?”

Man checking wristwatch

2 – Abbreviations of Expressions

The following abbreviations are a bit more popular among younger people. These are common Brazilian Portuguese text slang expressions that are used online, on social media, and when texting!

Abbreviation	Stands for	Translation	Example/Explanation
mds	Meu Deus	“My God” / “OMG”	Mds, é vdd? “OMG, is it true?”
sqn	só que não	Similar to “Said no one ever”	Amo segundas, sqn “I love Mondays, said no one ever.”
ac	acompanhando	“Following”	This is used in comments on Facebook, when you want to continue reading the comments in a post.
tmj	(es)tamo(s) junto(s)	“We’re together” / “I’m with you” / “I’m here for you”	Difícil mesmo, mas tmj! “It’s really complicated, but I’m here for you.”
blz	beleza	“Cool” / “Deal”	Vamos outro dia, blz? “Let’s go on another day, cool?”
flw	falou	“Bye” / “Ok”	Até mais, flw! “See you, bye!” Vou dormir agora, flw? “I’m going to sleep now, ok?”
vlw	valeu	“Thanks” / “Owe you one”	Vlw, miga! “Thanks, friend!”
sla	sei lá	“I don’t know”	Ah, sla! “Ah, I don’t know.”
brinks	brincadeira	“Kidding” / “Just kidding”	É brinks “Just kidding.”
tranks	tranquilo	“All good” / “No problem”	– Obrigada! “Thanks!” – Tranks “No problem.”
miga / migo	amiga / amigo	“Friend”	Miga, sdds! “Friend, miss you!”
kra	cara	“Dude”	Cara, vc ñ sabe o q aconteceu! “Dude, you don’t know what happened.”
bb	bebê	“Baby”	Td bem, bb? “How are you, baby?”
kbça	cabeça	“Head”	This is an ironic name for someone, implying they aren’t very smart or that they did something silly.
mec	–	“Cool” / “All good”	Tô mec, e você? “I’m good, and you?”
fds / findi	fim de semana	“Weekend”	Vai fazer o q esse findi? “What are you doing this weekend?”
fds	f*da-se	“F*ck it”	This is a swear word that expresses annoyance or exasperation. Watch the context to differentiate it from the previous use of fds.
pqp	p*** que pariu	“Holy s***”	This is a swear word that expresses surprise or frustration.
fdp	filho/filha da p***	“Son of a b****”	This is a swear word used against other people.
kct	c*cete	Works like a “WTF”	Kct, sério? “WTF, really?”
aff	–	–	This can express both shock or boredom (like a sigh).
putz	–	–	This is another interjection that can express shock or surprise.

/! Note /!

You might have noticed that the different conjugations of the verb estar can appear in two ways: the original version and a shortened version.

está → tá
estou → tô
estamos → tamos

These aren’t slang words per se, and they’re very common in both spoken Portuguese and in text messages or social media.

2. Laughing the Brazilian Way

A guide to Brazilian Portuguese internet slang could never be complete without an in-depth look at how Brazilians laugh online. With the vast numbers of Brazilians on the internet, the particular way in which they laugh has caused plenty of confusion online. Let’s unpack the top ways in which Brazilians laugh online and get you laughing along!

• kkk

The award for most confusing laughter has to go to kkk—and all of its variations with an increasing number of k’s, depending on how much fun you’re having! And no, don’t worry, this is not a racist salute in any way.

For some reason, in Brazil, the idea of laughing with a “qua-qua-qua” sound is an old one, as you can hear in this song of the iconic Brazilian singer Elis Regina.

• rsrs

This is an abbreviation of the word risos (“laughter”).

• huahuahuahua

This is another common way of laughing, derived from the traditional “hahaha.”

• hdashdjkasdjshdsdjasd

Randomly pressing letters on the keyboard is also common!

• Other honorable mentions

huehuehue, hauhauhauhau, spoaskoaksak, kjkjkjkjkjkjkj, haushhaushshsuah

Can you tell Brazilians are happy people? A simple “LOL” is not enough to express all the dimensions of fun!

3. Portuguese Internet Slang Derived from English

Many commonly used internet slang words in Portuguese actually originate from English words! And we’re not talking about the abbreviations that come straight from the English language and are used in the same context, like BFF, OMG, or plz. After all, in Brazil, things go a step further!

Most of the cases below are used as verbs, adding a Portuguese ending to an English word. This kind of expression is quite common, and there’s always a new one being added to the Brazilian internet vocabulary! Let’s take a look at the most popular ones.

Expression	Translation	Example/Explanation
stalkear	“To stalk”	Eu stalkeei ela no Instagram “I stalked her on Instagram.”
crushear	“To have a crush”	Tá crusheando, né? “You have a crush, don’t you?”
trollar	“To troll”	O pessoal não cansa de trollar na internet People don’t get tired of trolling online.”
shippar	“To ship”	Eu shippo muito esse casal “I ship this couple very much.”
flopar	“To fail” / “To be unsuccessful”	O novo album dessa banda flopou “This band’s new album was a fail.”
hypado	“Hyped”	Esse restaurante tá muito hypado “This restaurant is too hyped.”
zapzap	“Whatsapp”	Originally, this is what older people called Whatsapp.
Face	“Facebook”	Me add no Face! “Add me on Facebook.”
Insta	“Instagram”	Posta no Insta “Post it on Instagram.”

Sometimes the Expressions Make No Literal Sense!

4. Internet Slangs Popular on Social Media

You may not know, but Brazil is a fertile land for memes! As a result, many Portuguese expressions are born online and can even reach the streets being used in real life. Here are some popular internet-born slang words and expressions that you might hear from locals in an informal conversation.

Expression	Literal translation	Explanation	Example
dar biscoito / querer biscoito	“To give a cookie” / “To want a cookie”	This is used when someone is seeking attention or compliments.	Olha quantas fotos ele postou, ele quer biscoito. “Look how many pictures he posted, he wants attention.”
tá na Disney	“He/she is in Disney”	This phrase expresses that someone is saying something out of reality, as if they were in a cartoon or movie.	Você quer comprar esse carro? Tá na Disney? “You want to buy this car? Are you crazy?”
Deus me livre mas quem me dera	“God forbid, but I wish”	This is a paradoxical expression that refers to those situations where you want something but rationally you know you shouldn’t. There is a song with this name!	Todo mundo está namorando. Deus me livre, mas quem me dera. “Everyone is dating now. I don’t want it but also, I do.”
fada sensata	“Wise fairy”	This is used as a compliment, mostly for women, based on their wise actions or comments.	Ela pediu demissão. Fada sensata. “She quit her job, smart woman.”
dar PT	“To have a total loss”	PT is short for Perda Total (“total loss”). This expression is used when someone gets very drunk.	Dei PT na festa de ontem “I was blackout drunk at the party yesterday.”
10/10	“10 out of 10”	This one is a compliment on someone’s appearance.	Scarlett Johansson é muito 10/10 “Scarlett Johansson is gorgeous.”
mitar	“To be a myth”	This is used when someone does something amazing.	Ele mitou muito na apresentação “He was amazing at the presentation.”
Meldels	“My God”	This is another way of expressing surprise, just like OMG, but in a funnier way.	Meldels, é verdade isso? “OMG, is it true?”
menine	“Boy or girl”	This is a unissex way of referring to somebody.	Menine, você não vai acreditar! “Hey you, you won’t believe this!”
berro	“Scream”	This expresses a strong reaction to something surprising or very funny.	– Você viu o vídeo da festa? – Berro! – “Have you seen the video of the party?” – “OMG!”
socorro / scrro / scrr	“Help”	This is used when reacting to something very funny.	– Olha esse meme! – Scrr! Hahahaha – “Look at this meme.” – “LOL!”

→ Continue learning what’s popular in Brazil with the Top 5 Culture Icons You Need to Know About, on PortuguesePod101!

5. Popular Emojis in Brazil

Wondering what the most popular emojis are in Brazil? Since they’re such an important part of texting, it’s good to know what’s commonly used when talking to locals!

1. Red heart ❤️
2. Heart eyes 😍
3. Clapping hands 👏
4. Cat with heart eyes 😻
5. Please / Thank you 🙏
6. Music 🎶
7. Smiling moon, which can imply flirting 🌚
8. Peace sign ✌️
9. Eyes 👀

Now You’re Ready to Text Like a Brazilian!

6. Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

Feeling ready to confidently text in Brazilian Portuguese? Feel free to come back to this article whenever you need to brush up on your Portuguese internet slang. New expressions and abbreviations might pop up from time to time, so the best way to keep up-to-date is engaging with Portuguese speakers online!

Do you think we forgot any important slang words or phrases? Did the examples help you understand when to use each expression? Let us know in the comments below!

Now it’s time to continue on your language-learning journey! There are more free Portuguese resources and a variety of vocabulary lists available on PortuguesePod101. Go ahead and choose your favorite tools to expand your learning opportunities.

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