Portuguese Vocabulary by Theme, 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. Core & Everyday Essentials

1. Greetings & Essential Phrases

Olá (Hello/Hi)
Bom dia (Good morning/Good day)
Boa tarde (Good afternoon/Good evening)
Boa noite (Good night/Good evening - late)
Adeus (Goodbye) / Até logo (See you later) / Tchau (Bye - informal)
Por favor (Please)
Obrigado (m. speaker) / Obrigada (f. speaker) (Thank you)
De nada (You're welcome)
Com licença (Excuse me - to pass by/interrupt) / Desculpe (Excuse me/Pardon me - formal/informal)
Sinto muito / Desculpe (I'm sorry)
Sim (Yes)
Não (No)
Talvez (Maybe)
Como está? (formal) / Como está o senhor/a senhora? (very formal) / Como estás? (informal, Portugal) / Como você está? (informal/formal, Brazil) / Tudo bem? (informal) (How are you?)
Estou bem, obrigado/a. / Tudo bem. (I'm fine, thank you. / All good.)

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. Personal Information & Connections

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.

o nome (Name)
a idade (Age)
a nacionalidade (Nationality)
a origem (De onde é? / De onde você é? (Brazil) / De onde és? (Portugal) (Where are you from?))

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.

Pronouns

eu (I)
tu (you - singular, informal, Portugal & some Brazil regions)
você (you - singular, informal/formal, Brazil)
o senhor / a senhora (you - singular, formal)
ele (he/it - m.)
ela (she/it - f.)
nós (we)
vós (you - plural, very formal/literary, Portugal)
vocês (you - plural, Brazil & informal Portugal)
os senhores / as senhoras (you - plural, formal)
eles / elas (they - m./f.)
me (me - direct/indirect object pronoun) / mim (me - after preposition)
te (you - direct/indirect object pronoun, informal) / ti (you - after preposition, informal)
o/a (him/her/it/you formal - direct obj.) / lhe (to him/her/it/you formal - indirect obj.)
nos (us - direct/indirect object pronoun)
vos (you - direct/indirect object pronoun, plural formal/Portugal)
os/as (them/you formal plural - direct obj.) / lhes (to them/you formal plural - indirect obj.)

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.

o endereço (Brazil) / a morada (Portugal) (Address)
o número de telefone (Phone number)

3. Numbers & Counting

Cardinal numbers

um / uma (one - m./f.)
dois / duas (two - m./f.)
três (three)
(ex., quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, dez (four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten))
(ex., vinte e um, trinta e dois, quarenta e três (twenty-one, thirty-two, forty-three))

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.

Ordinal numbers

primeiro/a (first)
segundo/a (second)
terceiro/a (third)

Quantities

alguns/algumas / um pouco de (some)
muitos/muitas (many)
poucos/poucas (few)
todos/todas (all)
um pouco (de) (a little)
muito (de) (a lot)

Basic math operations

mais (plus)
menos (minus)
vezes (times)
dividido por (divided by)

4. Time, Calendar & Scheduling

segunda-feira (f.), terça-feira (f.), quarta-feira (f.), quinta-feira (f.), sexta-feira (f.), sábado (m.), domingo (m.) (Days of the week)
janeiro (m.), fevereiro (m.), março (m.), ..., dezembro (m.) (Months of the year)
a primavera, o verão, o outono, o inverno (Seasons)

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.

Telling time

a hora (as horas) (hour/o'clock) (ex., É uma hora. São duas horas.)
e meia (half past) (ex., uma e meia, duas e meia)
quinze para as (hour) / um quarto para as (hour) (quarter to) / e quinze / e um quarto (quarter past)

Time expressions

hoje (today)
ontem (yesterday)
amanhã (tomorrow)
agora (now)
mais tarde (later)
sempre (always)
nunca (never)
às vezes (sometimes)

5. Colors & Shapes

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.

vermelho/a (red)
verde (green)
azul (blue)
amarelo/a (yellow)
preto/a (black)
branco/a (white)
laranja / cor de laranja (orange)
rosa / cor-de-rosa (pink)
roxo/a / violeta (purple)
marrom (Brazil) / castanho/a (Portugal) (brown)
cinza / cinzento/a (grey)

Shades

azul claro (light blue)
verde escuro (dark green)

Shapes

o círculo (circle)
o quadrado (square)
o triângulo (triangle)
o retângulo (rectangle)
a estrela (star)

II. People & Relationships

6. Family

Immediate family

a mãe (as mães) (mother)
o pai (os pais) (father)
o irmão (os irmãos) (brother)
a irmã (as irmãs) (sister)
o filho (os filhos) (son)
a filha (as filhas) (daughter)

Extended family

a tia (as tias) (aunt)
o tio (os tios) (uncle)
o primo (os primos) / a prima (as primas) (cousin - male / female)
os avós (pl.) (grandparents) (a avó - grandmother, o avô - grandfather)

Relationship status

solteiro/a (single)
casado/a (married)
divorciado/a (divorced)

Friendship terms

o amigo (os amigos) / a amiga (as amigas) (friend - male / female)
o melhor amigo / a melhor amiga (best friend)

7. Descriptions & Characteristics

Physical appearance

alto/a (tall)
baixo/a (short)
a cor do cabelo (hair color) (ex. loiro/a, castanho/a, ruivo/a, moreno/a, preto)
a cor dos olhos (eye color) (ex. azuis, verdes, castanhos, pretos)

Personality traits

amável / simpático/a / legal (Brazil) (kind/nice)
engraçado/a / divertido/a (funny)
sério/a (serious)
tímido/a (shy)

Age groups

o bebê / a bebê (Brazil) / o bebé / a bebé (Portugal) (baby)
a criança (child - m./f.)
o adolescente / a adolescente (teenager)
o adulto / a adulta (adult)
o idoso / a idosa (elderly person)

8. Emotions & Feelings

Basic emotions

feliz / contente (happy)
triste (sad)
zangado/a (Portugal) / bravo/a (Brazil) / com raiva (angry)
assustado/a (scared) / ter medo (to be scared)
surpreso/a (surprised)

States of being

cansado/a (tired)
estar com fome / ter fome (hungry - to be hungry) / faminto/a
estar com sede / ter sede (thirsty - to be thirsty) / sedento/a
doente (sick)
bem / em forma (well/fit)
ficar entediado/a (bored - to get bored) / entediado/a (bored - adjective)
animado/a / entusiasmado/a (excited)

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. Places & Things

9. House & Home

Types of dwellings

a casa (house)
o apartamento (apartment/flat)

Rooms

a cozinha (kitchen)
o banheiro (Brazil) / a casa de banho (Portugal) (bathroom)
o quarto (de dormir) (bedroom)
a sala (de estar) (living room)
a sala de jantar (dining room)

Furniture

a mesa (table)
a cadeira (chair)
a cama (bed)
o sofá (sofa)
o armário / o guarda-roupa (wardrobe/closet)

Household items

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.

a luminária (Brazil) / o candeeiro (Portugal) (lamp)
a televisão (a TV) (television)
a geladeira (Brazil) / o frigorífico (Portugal) (refrigerator)
a máquina de lavar roupa (washing machine)
o prato (plate)
a xícara (Brazil - cup) / a chávena (Portugal - cup) / a caneca (mug) (cup/mug)
a faca (knife)
o garfo (fork)
a colher (spoon)

Household chores

a limpeza / limpar (cleaning/to clean)
cozinhar (cooking/to cook)
lavar a roupa (washing - laundry) / lavar a louça (washing - dishes)

10. City & Urban Life

Places in the city

a rua (street)
o caminho (road/path)
a praça (square)
o parque (park)
a loja (shop)
o banco (bank)
o correio / os correios (post office)
o hospital (hospital)
a estação (de trem/comboio) (train station) / o ponto de ônibus (Brazil) / a paragem de autocarro (Portugal) (bus stop)
o aeroporto (airport)

Buildings & Structures

o edifício / o prédio (Brazil) (building)
a ponte (bridge)
a torre (tower)

Public services

a polícia (police)
os bombeiros (pl.) (fire department)

11. Nature & Environment

Landforms

a montanha (mountain)
a colina / o morro (Brazil) (hill)
o vale (valley)
o rio (river)
o lago (lake)
o mar (sea)
o oceano (ocean)
a praia (beach)
a floresta / a mata (Brazil) (forest)
o deserto (desert)

Plants

a árvore (tree)
a flor (as flores) (flower)
a grama (Brazil) / a relva (Portugal) (grass)
a folha (leaf)
a raiz (as raízes) (root)

Natural elements

o céu (sky)
o sol (sun)
a lua (moon)
a estrela (star)
a pedra (stone)
a areia (sand)
a água (water)
o fogo (fire)
o ar (air)

Environmental terms

a poluição (pollution)
a reciclagem (recycling)
a mudança climática / as alterações climáticas (Portugal) (climate change)

12. Weather & Climate

Conditions

ensolarado / faz sol / está sol (sunny)
nublado / está nublado (cloudy)
chuvoso / chove / está chovendo (rainy)
nevado / neva / está nevando (snowy)
ventoso / venta / está ventando (windy)
nevoento / há nevoeiro (Portugal) / tem neblina (Brazil) (foggy)
quente / faz calor / está calor (hot)
frio / faz frio / está frio (cold)
ameno / está agradável (warm/mild - weather)
fresco / está fresco (cool)

Natural phenomena

a tempestade / a trovoada (Portugal) (storm / thunderstorm)
o trovão (thunder)
o relâmpago / o raio (lightning)
o arco-íris (rainbow)

Forecasting terms

a previsão (do tempo) (forecast)
a temperatura (temperature)
os graus (pl.) (degrees)

13. Animals

Pets

o cachorro (Brazil) / o cão (Portugal) (dog)
o gato (cat)
o pássaro (bird)
o peixe (fish)
o hamster (hamster)

Farm animals

a vaca (cow)
o porco (pig)
a ovelha (sheep)
a galinha / o frango (chicken - meat) (chicken)
o cavalo (horse)

Wild animals

o leão (os leões) (lion)
o tigre (tiger)
o urso (bear)
o elefante (elephant)
o lobo (wolf)
a raposa (fox)
o veado / o cervo (deer)

Insects

a formiga (ant)
a abelha (bee)
a borboleta (butterfly)
a aranha (spider)

Animal parts

o rabo / a cauda (tail)
a asa (wing)
o pelo (fur/hair)
a pena (feather)

IV. Daily Activities & Needs

14. Food & Drink

Fruits

a maçã (apple)
a banana (banana)
a laranja (orange)
o morango (strawberry)

Vegetables

a cenoura (carrot)
a batata (potato)
o tomate (tomato)
a alface (lettuce)

Meats & Poultry

a carne (de vaca / bovina) (beef)
o porco / a carne de porco (pork)
o frango (chicken)
o peixe (fish)

Dairy & Grains

o leite (milk)
o queijo (cheese)
o iogurte (yogurt)
o pão (os pães) (bread)
o arroz (rice)
a massa (Portugal) / o macarrão (Brazil) (pasta)

Beverages

a água (water)
o suco (Brazil) / o sumo (Portugal) (juice)
o chá (tea)
o café (coffee)
o vinho (wine)
a cerveja (beer)

Meals

o café da manhã (Brazil) / o pequeno-almoço (Portugal) (breakfast)
o almoço (lunch)
o jantar (dinner)
o lanche (snack)

Cooking terms

ferver (boil)
fritar (fry)
assar (bake/roast)
picar / cortar (chop/cut)
misturar / mexer (mix/stir)

Tableware & Utensils

o prato (plate)
a tigela (bowl)
a xícara / a chávena (cup)
o copo (glass)
a faca (knife)
o garfo (fork)
a colher (spoon)
o guardanapo (napkin)

Eating out

o restaurante (restaurant)
o café / a lanchonete (Brazil) / a cafetaria (Portugal) (café)
o cardápio (Brazil) / a ementa (Portugal) (menu)
pedir (to order) / o pedido (order - noun)
a conta (bill/check)

15. Clothing & Accessories

Garments

a camisa (shirt - button-up)
a camiseta (t-shirt)
as calças (pl.) (trousers/pants)
o vestido (dress)
a saia (skirt)
a jaqueta (Brazil) / o casaco (Portugal - can mean jacket or coat) (jacket)
o casaco (coat)
o suéter (Brazil) / a camisola (Portugal) (sweater/jumper)

Footwear

os sapatos (pl.) (shoes)
as botas (pl.) (boots)
as sandálias (pl.) (sandals)
as meias (pl.) (socks)

Accessories

o chapéu (hat)
o cachecol (Portugal) / o lenço (scarf, or handkerchief Brazil) (scarf)
as luvas (pl.) (gloves)
o cinto (belt)
a bolsa (bag/purse)
os óculos (pl.) (glasses)
as joias (pl.) (jewelry)

Describing clothes

o material / o tecido (material/fabric)
a estampa (Brazil) / o padrão (Portugal) (pattern)
o tamanho (size)

16. Body & Health

External body parts

a cabeça (head)
o rosto / a cara (face)
o olho (os olhos) (eye, eyes)
a orelha (Portugal) / o ouvido (Brazil - inner ear, also hearing sense) (ear)
o nariz (nose)
a boca (mouth)
o braço (arm)
a perna (leg)
a mão (as mãos) (hand, hands)
o pé (os pés) (foot)
o dedo (finger/toe)

Internal organs

o coração (os corações) (heart)
o cérebro (brain)
o estômago (stomach)
os pulmões (pl.) (lungs)

Senses

a visão (sight)
a audição (hearing)
o olfato (smell)
o paladar (taste)
o tato (touch)

Common ailments

o resfriado (Brazil) / a constipação (Portugal) (cold)
a gripe (flu)
a dor de cabeça (headache)
a dor de barriga / a dor de estômago (stomachache)
a febre (fever)

Medical terms

o médico / a médica (doctor)
o enfermeiro / a enfermeira (nurse)
o remédio (Brazil) / o medicamento (Portugal) (medicine)
o hospital (hospital)
a farmácia (pharmacy)
a dor (pain)

Hygiene

o sabonete (Brazil) / o sabão (Portugal - also general soap) (soap)
a escova de dentes (toothbrush)
a pasta de dentes / o creme dental (Brazil) (toothpaste)
o chuveiro (Brazil) / o duche (Portugal) (shower)
o banho / a banheira (bath/bathtub)

17. Shopping & Money

Types of shops

o supermercado (supermarket)
a padaria (bakery)
o açougue (Brazil) / o talho (Portugal) (butcher)
a loja de roupas (clothes shop)
a livraria (bookstore)

Shopping actions

comprar (buy)
vender (sell)
pagar (pay)
escolher (choose)
experimentar (roupa) (try on)

Money & Currency

o dinheiro (money)
o dinheiro (em espécie) / o numerário (Portugal) (cash)
o cartão de crédito (credit card)
a moeda (coin)
a nota (Brazil) / a cédula (Brazil - banknote) / a nota (Portugal - banknote) (banknote)
o preço (price)
o custo (cost - noun) / custar (cost - verb)
caro/a (expensive)
barato/a (cheap/inexpensive)

18. Transportation & Travel

Modes of transport

o carro (car)
o ônibus (Brazil) / o autocarro (Portugal) (bus)
o trem (Brazil) / o comboio (Portugal) (train)
a bicicleta (a bike) (bicycle)
o avião (os aviões) (airplane)
o barco / o navio (boat/ship)
o táxi (taxi)
o metrô (Brazil) / o metro (Portugal) (metro/subway)

Travel terminology

a passagem (Brazil) / o bilhete (Portugal) (ticket)
o passaporte (passport)
o visto (visa)
a bagagem (luggage) / a mala (suitcase)
a estação (station)
o aeroporto (airport)
o hotel (os hotéis) (hotel)
a viagem (journey/trip)
a excursão (trip/excursion)

Directions

à esquerda (left)
à direita (right)
em frente / reto (straight ahead)
virar (turn)
o norte (north)
o sul (south)
o leste (east)
o oeste (west)
perto (de) (near)
longe (de) (far)

V. Work & Leisure

19. Professions & Workplace

Professions

o professor / a professora (teacher/professor)
o médico / a médica (doctor)
o engenheiro / a engenheira (engineer)
o artista / a artista (artist)
o cozinheiro / a cozinheira (cook)
o motorista / a motorista (driver)
o agricultor / a agricultora (farmer)
o vendedor / a vendedora (shop assistant)

Workplace vocabulary

o escritório (office)
a fábrica (factory)
a empresa (company/firm)
o colega / a colega (de trabalho) (colleague)
o chefe / a chefe (boss)
a reunião (meeting)
o salário (salary/wage)

Tools & Equipment

o computador (computer)
o telefone / o celular (Brazil) / o telemóvel (Portugal) (phone/mobile phone)
a caneta (pen)
o papel (paper)
o martelo (hammer)
a chave de fenda (screwdriver)

20. Education & Academic Life

Places of learning

a escola (school)
o colégio (can be private school or high school) / o liceu (Portugal - high school)
a universidade / a faculdade (college department/faculty) (university)

People in education

o estudante / a estudante (student)
o aluno / a aluna (pupil/student)
o professor / a professora (teacher/professor)

School subjects

a matemática (math)
as ciências (pl.) (science)
a história (history)
a geografia (geography)
a língua / o idioma (language)
a arte (art)
a música (music)

Academic terms

o exame (os exames) / a prova (exam/test)
o dever de casa / a tarefa (de casa) (homework)
a aula (lesson/class)
a nota (grade - mark)
estudar (to study) / o estudo (study - noun)
aprender (learn)
ler (read)
escrever (write)

Classroom objects

o livro (book)
o caderno (notebook)
a caneta (pen)
o lápis (pencil)
o quadro / a lousa (Brazil) (blackboard/whiteboard)
a mesa (do professor) / a carteira (do aluno) (desk)
a cadeira (chair)

21. Sports & Hobbies

Common sports

o futebol (football/soccer)
o basquete / o basquetebol (basketball)
o tênis (tennis)
a natação (swimming)
a corrida / o jogging / o cooper (Brazil - old term) (running/jogging)
o ciclismo (cycling)

Hobbies & Activities

a leitura (reading)
ouvir música (listening to music)
assistir televisão/filmes (watching TV/movies)
jogar (videogames, jogos de tabuleiro, etc.) (playing games)
a dança / dançar (dancing/to dance)
a jardinagem (gardening)
viajar (traveling - verb) / as viagens (pl.) (traveling - noun)
a fotografia (photography)

Equipment

a bola (ball)
a raquete (racket)
a bicicleta (bicycle)
o jogo de tabuleiro (board game)

Places for leisure

o cinema (cinema)
o teatro (theater)
o museu (museum)
a biblioteca (library)
a academia (Brazil) / o ginásio (Portugal) (gym)
o parque (park)

22. Arts & Culture

Music

a canção (as canções) / a música (song)
a banda / o grupo (musical) (band)
o show (Brazil) / o concerto (Portugal) (concert)
o instrumento (musical) (instrument)
o violão (Brazil - acoustic guitar) / a guitarra (electric guitar, or acoustic in Portugal) (guitar)
o piano (piano)
a bateria (drum set) / o tambor (drum - single)
cantar (to sing)
tocar (um instrumento) (to play - an instrument)
ouvir / escutar (to listen)

Arts

a pintura / o quadro (painting - art form/a painting)
o desenho (drawing)
a escultura (sculpture)
a foto(grafia) (photograph/photography)
a arte (art)
o artista / a artista (artist)
o museu (museum)
a galeria (de arte) (gallery)

Performing Arts

o teatro (theater)
a dança (dance)
a ópera (opera)
o ator / a atriz (actor/actress)
o dançarino / a dançarina (Brazil) / o bailarino / a bailarina (Portugal) (dancer)

Literature

o livro (book)
o romance (novel)
o poema (poem)
a história / o conto (story)
o escritor / a escritora (writer)

VI. Grammar Essentials

23. Essential Verbs

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.

Being

ser (be - permanent characteristics, identity)
estar (be - temporary states, location)
existir (exist)

Having

ter (have)
possuir (own/possess)

Doing & Making

fazer (do/make)

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.

Movement

ir (go)
vir (come)
caminhar / andar (walk)
correr (run)
voar (fly)
nadar (swim)

Senses

ver (see)
ouvir (hear)
cheirar (smell)
provar / saborear / degustar (taste)
sentir (feel - emotion/sensation)
tocar / pegar (Brazil - to take/touch) (touch)

Communication

dizer (say/tell)
contar (tell/narrate)
falar (speak/talk)
perguntar (ask)
responder (answer)
ler (read)
escrever (write)

Thinking & Feeling

pensar (think)
saber (know - fact/how to) / conhecer (know - be familiar with person/place)
entender / compreender (understand)
acreditar / crer (believe)
querer (want)
precisar (de) (need)
gostar (de) (like)
amar (love)
odiar (hate)

General actions

comer (eat)
beber (drink)
dormir (sleep)
trabalhar (work)
jogar (sports, games) / brincar (play - children) (play)
estudar (study)
viver / morar (reside) (live)
ajudar (help)
usar / utilizar (use)
tentar / experimentar (try)
abrir (open)
fechar (close)
dar (give)
pegar (Brazil) / apanhar (Portugal) / tomar (take)

24. Descriptive Adjectives

Qualities

bom / boa (good)
mau / má (bad)
amável / simpático/a (nice/kind)
bonito/a / belo/a / lindo/a (beautiful/pretty)
feio/a (ugly)
novo/a (new)
velho/a (old)
jovem (jovens - pl.) (young)

Size & Dimension

grande (big/large)
pequeno/a (small)
longo/a (Portugal) / comprido/a (Brazil) (long)
curto/a (short - length)
alto/a (high/tall)
largo/a (wide)
estreito/a (narrow)
baixo/a (low/short - height)

Condition

fácil (easy)
difícil (difficult)
limpo/a (clean)
sujo/a (dirty)
cheio/a (full)
vazio/a (empty)
molhado/a (wet)
seco/a (dry)
duro/a (hard)
macio/a (soft)

Speed & Intensity

rápido/a (fast/quick)
lento/a / devagar (adverb) (slow)
forte (strong/loud)
fraco/a (weak)
silencioso/a / calmo/a (quiet/calm)

Opinion & Importance

importante (important)
interessante (interesting)
chato/a (Brazil) / aborrecido/a (Portugal) (boring)
delicioso/a / gostoso/a (Brazil) / saboroso/a (delicious)
terrível (terrible)

25. Adverbs & Modifiers

Manner

rapidamente / rápido (quickly)
lentamente / devagar (slowly)
bem (well)
mal (badly)
cuidadosamente / com cuidado (carefully)

Frequency

sempre (always)
frequentemente / muitas vezes (often)
às vezes (sometimes)
raramente / poucas vezes (rarely)
nunca (never)

Degree

muito (very/much)
demais / demasiado (too/too much)
bastante (quite/enough)
realmente / verdadeiramente (really)
tão (so - as in 'so big') / assim (so - in this way)

Place

aqui (here)
aí (near you) / ali (there, further) / lá (there, furthest) (there)
em todo lugar / por toda parte (everywhere)
em nenhum lugar / em parte alguma (nowhere)

Time

agora (now)
então / logo / depois (then/afterwards)
cedo (early) / em breve (soon)
tarde (late)
já (already/now)
ainda (still / yet) (ainda não: not yet)

26. Prepositions & Conjunctions

Prepositions of place

em (em + o = no, em + a = na) (in/on/at)
sobre / em cima de (on/on top of)
debaixo de / sob (under)
ao lado de / junto a (next to/beside)
atrás de (behind)
em frente de / diante de (in front of)
entre (between/among)
perto de (near)
longe de (far from)
acima de (above)

Prepositions of time

a (às ...) (at - time, e.g., às 8)
de (manhã/tarde/noite) (in - the morning/afternoon/evening)
em (com meses, anos, estações: em maio, em 2024, no verão) (in - month, year, season)
antes de (before)
depois de / após (after)
durante (during)
até (until)
desde (since)
por / durante (for - duration)

Prepositions of movement

a / para (to)
de (from)
em direção a / para (towards)
por / através de (through/by/along)

Conjunctions

e (and)
mas (but)
ou (or)
então / assim / portanto (so/therefore)
porque (because)
se (if)
quando (when)
enquanto (while)
embora / apesar de (que) (although/even though)

27. 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.

Quem (Who)
O que / Que (before noun) (What)
Qual / Quais (pl.) (Which/What - when choosing)
Onde (Where - location)
Aonde (Where to - direction with verbs of motion)
De onde (Where from)
Quando (When)
Por que (question) / Porque (answer) / Por quê (end of question) / O porquê (noun) (Why/Because)
Como (How)
Quanto/a (How much)
Quantos/as (How many)
De quem (Whose)