Basic Portuguese vocabulary words
[with Audio]

Welcome to this thematically-organized vocabulary list of basic portuguese words.

To help your pronunciation, you can click on any of the portuguese terms throughout this list to hear an audio recording.

I. Fundamentos Essenciais e Cotidianos (Core & Everyday Essentials)

1. Saudações e Frases Básicas (Greetings & Basic Phrases):

When expressing gratitude, remember that "obrigado" is used by male speakers, and "obrigada" by female speakers. It literally means "obliged," so it changes to match the gender of the person who feels thankful. This small detail shows politeness and attentiveness to the language's nuances.

2. Informações Pessoais e Apresentações (Personal Information & Introductions):

A fundamental aspect of Portuguese vocabulary is that nouns have a gender, either masculine (often ending in -o) or feminine (often ending in -a). Adjectives and articles (like 'o' for 'the' masculine, or 'a' for 'the' feminine) must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Paying attention to this from the start will greatly improve your accuracy.

As you explore this vocabulary, you'll notice some terms are marked for Brazil (BR) or Portugal (PT). While Portuguese spoken in these countries is mutually intelligible, there are delightful variations in vocabulary, pronunciation, and sometimes grammar. This list aims to cover common ground and highlight key differences where they arise.

Pronomes (Pronouns)

The choice between "tu" and "você" for "you" (singular) is a key distinction, primarily geographical and social. In Portugal, "tu" is common for informal address, while "você" can sound more formal or even distant. In most of Brazil, "você" is standard for both informal and formal situations, with "tu" used in specific regions and often with different verb conjugations than in Portugal.

3. Números e Contar (Numbers & Counting):

Números Cardinais (Cardinal numbers)

Notice that the numbers for "one" ("um/uma") and "two" ("dois/duas") change to agree with the gender of the noun they quantify. For example, you would say "um livro" (one book, masculine) but "uma caneta" (one pen, feminine). Most other cardinal numbers do not change for gender.

Números Ordinais (Ordinal numbers)

Quantidades (Quantities & Amounts)

Operações Matemáticas Básicas (Basic math operations)

4. Tempo e Calendário (Time & Calendar):

The Portuguese days of the week from Monday to Friday uniquely use "feira," meaning "fair" or "market day." "Segunda-feira" is literally "second market day," "terça-feira" is "third market day," and so on. "Sábado" (Saturday) and "domingo" (Sunday) have different, religious origins.

Dizer as Horas (Telling time)

Expressões de Tempo (Time expressions)

5. Cores e Formas (Colors & Shapes):

Cores Básicas (Basic colors)

Just like other adjectives, colors in Portuguese must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. For instance, "um carro vermelho" (a red car, masculine singular) versus "uma casa vermelha" (a red house, feminine singular). Some colors, like "azul" or "verde," have the same form for masculine and feminine.

Tons (Shades)

Formas Básicas (Basic shapes)

II. Pessoas e Relações (People & Relationships)

6. Família e Relações (Family & Relationships):

Família Próxima (Immediate family)

Família Alargada (Extended family)

Estado Civil (Relationship status)

Termos de Amizade (Friendship terms)

7. Descrever Pessoas (Describing People):

Aparência Física (Physical appearance)

Traços de Personalidade (Personality traits)

Faixas Etárias (Age groups)

8. Emoções e Sentimentos (Emotions & Feelings):

Emoções Básicas (Basic emotions)

Estados de Espírito (States of being)

Unlike English, which uses "to be" for many states, Portuguese often uses the verb "ter" (to have) to express feelings and sensations. For example, "ter fome" (to be hungry, literally 'to have hunger'), "ter sede" (to be thirsty), "ter sono" (to be sleepy), and even for age, "ter X anos" (to be X years old).

III. Ao Redor: Lugares e Coisas (Around You: Places & Things)

9. Casa e Tarefas Domésticas (Home & Household):

Tipos de Habitação (Types of dwellings)

Cômodos (Brazil) / Divisões (Portugal) (Rooms)

Móveis (Furniture) / Mobília (Portugal)

Objetos e Eletrodomésticos (Household items & Appliances)

Pay attention to regional vocabulary differences for common household items. For instance, a refrigerator is "a geladeira" in Brazil but "o frigorífico" in Portugal. Similarly, a cup can be "a xícara" (Brazil) or "a chávena" (Portugal). Knowing these variations is useful depending on where you're focusing your learning.

Tarefas Domésticas (Household chores)

10. Cidade e Vida Urbana (City & Urban Life):

Lugares na Cidade (Places in the city)

Edifícios e Estruturas (Buildings & Structures)

Serviços Públicos (Public services)

11. Natureza e Meio Ambiente (Nature & Environment):

Relevo (Landforms)

Plantas (Plants)

Elementos Naturais (Natural elements)

Termos Ambientais (Environmental terms)

12. Tempo e Clima (Weather & Climate):

Condições (Conditions)

Fenômenos Naturais (Natural phenomena)

Termos de Previsão (Forecasting terms)

13. Animais (Animals):

Animais de Estimação (Pets)

Animais de Fazenda (Farm animals)

Animais Selvagens (Wild animals)

Insetos (Insects & Bugs)

Partes de Animais (Animal parts)

IV. Atividades Diárias e Necessidades (Daily Activities & Needs)

14. Comida e Bebida (Food & Drink):

Frutas (Fruits)

Legumes e Verduras (Vegetables)

Carnes e Aves (Meats & Poultry)

Laticínios e Grãos (Dairy & Grains)

Bebidas (Beverages)

Refeições (Meals)

Termos de Culinária (Cooking terms)

Louça e Talheres (Tableware & Utensils)

Comer Fora (Eating out)

15. Roupa e Acessórios (Clothing & Accessories):

Peças de Roupa (Garments)

Calçado (Footwear)

Acessórios (Accessories)

Descrever Roupa (Describing clothes)

16. Partes do Corpo e Saúde (Body Parts & Health):

Partes Externas do Corpo (External body parts)

Órgãos Internos (Internal organs)

Sentidos (Senses)

Doenças Comuns (Common ailments)

Termos Médicos (Medical terms)

Higiene (Hygiene)

17. Compras e Dinheiro (Shopping & Money):

Tipos de Lojas (Types of shops)

Ações de Compra (Shopping actions)

Dinheiro e Moeda (Money & Currency)

18. Transporte e Viagens (Transportation & Travel):

Meios de Transporte (Modes of transport)

Terminologia de Viagem (Travel terminology)

Direções (Directions)

V. Trabalho, Estudo e Lazer (Work, Study & Leisure)

19. Trabalho e Profissões (Work & Professions):

Profissões (Job titles)

Vocabulário de Trabalho (Workplace vocabulary)

Ferramentas e Equipamentos (Tools & Equipment)

20. Educação (Education):

Locais de Aprendizagem (Places of learning)

Pessoas na Educação (People in education)

Disciplinas Escolares (School subjects)

Termos Acadêmicos (Academic terms)

Objetos da Sala de Aula (Classroom objects)

21. Esportes, Hobbies e Lazer (Sports, Hobbies & Leisure):

Esportes Comuns (Common sports)

Hobbies e Atividades (Hobbies & Activities)

Equipamentos (Equipment)

Locais de Lazer (Places for leisure)

22. Arte e Cultura (Arts & Culture):

Música (Music)

Artes Visuais (Visual Arts)

Artes Cênicas (Performing Arts)

Literatura (Literature)

VI. Blocos de Construção da Língua (Cruciais para Formar Frases) (Language Building Blocks)

23. Verbos Comuns (Ações e Estados) (Common Verbs - Actions & States):

Mastering the verbs "ser" and "estar" (both meaning "to be") is crucial. Generally, "ser" is used for permanent characteristics, identity, origin, time, and professions, while "estar" is used for temporary states, locations, emotions, and conditions. Understanding this distinction will significantly improve your sentence construction.

Ser/Estar (Being)

Ter (Having)

Fazer (Doing/Making)

The verb "fazer" is incredibly versatile in Portuguese, covering the meanings of both "to do" and "to make" in English. It's used in a wide array of expressions, from "fazer perguntas" (to ask questions) to "fazer uma viagem" (to take a trip), making it a high-frequency verb to learn early.

Movimento (Movement)

Sentidos (Senses)

Comunicação (Communication)

Pensar/Sentir (Thinking/Feeling)

Ações Gerais (General actions)

24. Adjetivos Comuns (Palavras Descritivas) (Common Adjectives - Describing Words):

Qualidades (Qualities)

Tamanho/Dimensão (Size/Dimension)

Condição (Condition)

Velocidade/Intensidade (Speed/Intensity)

Opinião/Importância (Opinion/Importance)

25. Advérbios Comuns (Modificam Verbos/Adjetivos) (Common Adverbs - Modifying Verbs/Adjectives):

Modo (Manner)

Frequência (Frequency)

Grau (Degree)

Lugar (Place)

Tempo (Time)

26. Preposições e Conjunções (Palavras de Ligação) (Prepositions & Conjunctions - Connecting Words):

Preposições de Lugar (Prepositions of place)

Preposições de Tempo (Prepositions of time)

Preposições de Movimento (Prepositions of movement)

Conjunções (Conjunctions)

27. Palavras Interrogativas (Question Words):

Forming questions in Portuguese can be as simple as raising your intonation at the end of a statement (for yes/no questions). For more specific information, you'll use interrogative words like the ones listed below. Note the variations of "por que" for questions and "porque" for answers, a common point of confusion for learners.