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Portuguese Language Essentials Cheat Sheet
A handy reference guide to Portuguese grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, designed to help learners quickly grasp the fundamentals.
Basic Grammar
Nouns and Articles
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Nouns are either masculine or feminine. This affects article and adjective agreement. |
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Masculine Article |
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Feminine Article |
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Example (Masculine) |
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Example (Feminine) |
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Plural Forms |
Generally, add |
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Plural Examples |
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Pronouns
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Eu |
I |
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Tu |
You (informal, Portugal) |
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Você |
You (formal/informal, Brazil) |
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Ele/Ela |
He/She |
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Nós |
We |
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Vós |
You (formal, plural, Portugal) |
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Vocês |
You (formal/informal, plural, Brazil) |
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Eles/Elas |
They (masculine/feminine) |
Basic Verb Conjugation (Present Tense of 'Ser' - To Be)
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Eu |
Sou (I am) |
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Tu |
És (You are - Portugal informal) |
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Você/Ele/Ela |
É (You/He/She is) |
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Nós |
Somos (We are) |
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Vós |
Sois (You are - Portugal formal plural) |
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Vocês/Eles/Elas |
São (You/They are) |
Essential Vocabulary
Greetings and Basic Phrases
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Olá |
Hello |
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Bom dia |
Good morning |
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Boa tarde |
Good afternoon |
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Boa noite |
Good evening/night |
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Como está? (formal) / Como você está? (Brazil) |
How are you? |
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Tudo bem? |
Everything okay? / How’s it going? |
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Obrigado/Obrigada |
Thank you (masculine/feminine) |
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De nada |
You’re welcome |
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Por favor |
Please |
Common Verbs
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Ser |
To be (permanent characteristics) |
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Estar |
To be (temporary states) |
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Ter |
To have |
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Fazer |
To do/make |
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Ir |
To go |
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Querer |
To want |
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Poder |
To be able to/can |
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Dizer |
To say/tell |
Useful Nouns
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Homem |
Man |
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Mulher |
Woman |
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Criança |
Child |
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Casa |
House |
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Trabalho |
Work/Job |
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Dinheiro |
Money |
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Tempo |
Time/Weather |
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Comida |
Food |
Pronunciation Guide
Vowel Sounds
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a - Usually pronounced like the ‘a’ in ‘father’. In some dialects, it can be more open like the ‘a’ in ‘cat’. |
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e - Can be pronounced like the ‘e’ in ‘bed’ or like the ‘a’ in ‘say’, depending on the word and dialect. |
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i - Pronounced like the ‘ee’ in ‘see’. |
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o - Can be pronounced like the ‘o’ in ‘go’ or like the ‘o’ in ‘hot’, depending on the word and dialect. |
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u - Pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘moon’. |
Consonant Sounds
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c - Soft like ‘s’ before ‘e’ and ‘i’ (e.g., ‘cidade’ - city). Hard like ‘k’ before ‘a’, ‘o’, ‘u’ (e.g., ‘casa’ - house). |
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ç - Always pronounced like ‘ss’ in ‘miss’. |
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j - Pronounced like the ‘s’ in ‘measure’. |
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nh - Pronounced like the ‘ny’ in ‘canyon’. |
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lh - Pronounced like the ‘lli’ in ‘million’. |
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r - Can be rolled (especially at the beginning of a word) or pronounced like the ‘h’ in ‘house’ in some dialects (Brazil). |
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s - Voiced like a ‘z’ between vowels. Otherwise, typically like the ‘s’ in ‘sun’. At the end of a word (especially in Brazil) often sounds like ‘sh’. |
Diphthongs
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ão - Nasal sound, similar to the ‘ow’ in ‘how’ followed by a nasal ‘n’. |
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ei - Pronounced like the ‘ay’ in ‘say’. |
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ou - Pronounced like the ‘oa’ in ‘boat’. |
Useful Phrases for Travel
Getting Around
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Onde fica…? |
Where is…? |
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Como chego a…? |
How do I get to…? |
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À direita |
To the right |
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À esquerda |
To the left |
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Em frente |
Straight ahead |
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Perto |
Near |
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Longe |
Far |
At a Restaurant
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A carta, por favor. |
The menu, please. |
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Eu gostaria de… |
I would like… |
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A conta, por favor. |
The bill, please. |
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Água |
Water |
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Vinho |
Wine |
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Cerveja |
Beer |
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Café |
Coffee |
Emergency Phrases
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Socorro! |
Help! |
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Preciso de ajuda. |
I need help. |
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Chame a polícia. |
Call the police. |
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Chame uma ambulância. |
Call an ambulance. |
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Perdi-me. |
I am lost. |
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Estou doente. |
I am sick. |