Key phrases for your trip to Brazil

A trip to Brazil promises a lot. Whether it’s to Rio de Janeiro on the Sugarloaf Mountain, to the tropical beaches in the northeast of the country, on an exploration tour into the depths of the Amazon or to surf in Floreanópolis in the south, in Brazil you will always find someone who speaks English, but it is always better, at least Master a few basics of Brazilian Portuguese.

The best way to prepare for your trip is to prepare for your trip with a Portuguese teacher online

. He or she will be able to teach you more than just the most important key phrases, practice talking to you, and also share useful cultural knowledge.

For starters, the following pronunciation rules, sentences and phrases can help you to orient yourself in the South American country and to get in touch with the loving people there. It will make your trip a lot more pleasant and prevent misunderstandings.

Read the debate

Most vowels and consonants are read and pronounced in a similar way to German. The biggest and most important differences that can severely affect understanding if you don’t know are the pronunciation of the “r” and the umlauts “inho” as well as “de” or “di”.

“Inho”

is pronounced roughly “Injo”. The “h” remains silent.

“r”, on the other hand, is pronounced like a breathy “h” in most word positions. So Rio sounds like “Hio” and the surname “Ferreira” sounds like “Fäheyha”.

The letter sequence “te” or “di” transforms the actually hard “t” or “d” into a soft “dsch”.
“O presidente
“, the president, means something like “o presideeendtschi” in Brazilian Portuguese. “Dinheiro”, the money, is pronounced “dschieneeero”.

The word “rapidinho”, a popular diminutive of the adverb “fast”, combines these three pronunciation rules like no other. It is pronounced something like “hapijinjo”.

Greeting and other standard formulas

1. Hello! -Hello!
2. Obrigado(a)! -Thank you! (“o” if you are male and “a” if you are female)
3. Por favor. -Please. (The “r” is only breathed in both words)
4. De nada. -You’re welcome. (“Ji nada”)
5. Desculpe. -Excuse me. (The last “e” is pronounced like an “i”)
6. Fala inglês? -Speak English?
7. Eu não entendo. -I don’t understand. (“Eu” – I, is not pronounced like the German umlaut “eu”, but both vowels individually)
8. Eu gostaria de… – I would like to…
9. Pode me ajudar? -Can you help me? (The “j” is pronounced like a “sh”)
10. Preciso de ajuda. – I need help.
11. Quanto custa? – How much does it cost?
12. Que horas são? – What time is it?

Eat out

1. 

   Posso ver o cardápio, por favor? – Can I please see the menu?

2. Para mim o arroz – For me the rice.
3. Para ela o peixe – For her the fish. (The word “peixe” is pronounced “peyschi”)
4. Para ele as batatas fritas – For him, the fries (literally: fried potatoes). (“Ele” is pronounced “eli”)
5. Uma água da garrafa, por favor. – A bottled water, please. (“Garrafa” is pronounced “Gahaffa”)
6. Uma cerveja, por favor. – A beer, please.
7. Não coloque açúcar no suco – Please do not add sugar to the juice.
8. A conta, por favor – The bill, please.
9. Qual é a senha do Wi-Fi? – What is the Wi-Fi password?
10. Onde fica o banheiro? – Where is the toilet? (“Onde” is pronounced “ondschi”)

Ask for directions, tickets, hotel and co.

1. Onde fica…? – Where is…?
2. Esquerda – Left
3. Direito – Right
4. EM Frente – Straight ahead
5. Estou perdido(a). – I got lost.
6. Poderia chamar um táxi para mim? – Could you call a taxi for me? (“Chamar” is pronounced “shamar”)
7. Gostaria de comprar um bilhete para… – I would like to get a ticket to… buy (“Gostaria” is pronounced “goschtaria”)
8. Eu gostaria de fazer uma reserva. – I would like to make a reservation. (“Fazer” means “to make” and the “z” is pronounced like a voiced “s”.
9. Onde posso encontrar um banco? – Where can I find a bank?
10. Onde posso encontrar um bom restaurante? – Where can I find a good restaurant?

The numbers

1 – at, 2 – dois (“German”), 3 – três, 4 – quatro, 5 – Cinco, 6 – seis, 7 – sete (“seche”), 8 – Oito, 9 – Nove, 10 – Dec, 11 – Onze, 12 – Doze, 13 – Treze, 14 – quatorze, 15 – Quinze, 16 – Dezesseis, 17 – Dezessete, 18 – Dezoito, 19 – Dezenove, 20 – Vinte.

30 – trinta, 40 – quarenta, 50 – cinquenta, 60 – sessenta, 70 – setenta, 80 – oitenta, 90 – noventa, 100 – cem, 200 – duzentos, 300 – trezentos, 1000 – mil, 1.000.000 – um milhão.

With these key phrases, phrases and numbers , you should be able to orient yourself in everyday travel situations, get in touch with the Brazilian population and, above all, have beautiful experiences on your trip through Brazil. Boa viagem! -Safe travels!