You don't need to memorize an entire dictionary to start speaking Portuguese. With a well-chosen set of high-frequency words, organized by topic, you can start building useful sentences in your very first week.
Here are 100 essential words, grouped by category, with their English meaning, ready to use today.
Greetings and basic expressions (15 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Oi / Olá | Hi / Hello |
| Tudo bem? | How's it going? |
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Boa tarde | Good afternoon |
| Boa noite | Good evening / night |
| Obrigado / Obrigada | Thank you (male/female speaker) |
| Por favor | Please |
| De nada | You're welcome |
| Desculpa | Sorry |
| Com licença | Excuse me |
| Tchau | Bye |
| Até logo | See you soon |
| Sim | Yes |
| Não | No |
| Talvez | Maybe |
Numbers 1 to 10 (10 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Um | One |
| Dois | Two |
| Três | Three |
| Quatro | Four |
| Cinco | Five |
| Seis | Six |
| Sete | Seven |
| Oito | Eight |
| Nove | Nine |
| Dez | Ten |
📊 Tip: learn numbers together with pronunciation from day one, you'll use them constantly for prices, times, and directions.
Family (10 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Família | Family |
| Mãe | Mother |
| Pai | Father |
| Irmão / Irmã | Brother / Sister |
| Filho / Filha | Son / Daughter |
| Avô / Avó | Grandfather / Grandmother |
| Tio / Tia | Uncle / Aunt |
| Primo / Prima | Cousin (male/female) |
| Esposo / Esposa | Husband / Wife |
| Namorado / Namorada | Boyfriend / Girlfriend |
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Food and drink (15 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Comida | Food |
| Água | Water |
| Café | Coffee |
| Pão | Bread |
| Arroz | Rice |
| Feijão | Beans |
| Carne | Meat |
| Frango | Chicken |
| Peixe | Fish |
| Fruta | Fruit |
| Suco | Juice |
| Cerveja | Beer |
| Almoço | Lunch |
| Jantar | Dinner |
| Sobremesa | Dessert |
Places and city (15 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Casa | House |
| Rua | Street |
| Cidade | City |
| Praia | Beach |
| Aeroporto | Airport |
| Hotel | Hotel |
| Restaurante | Restaurant |
| Loja | Store |
| Banco | Bank |
| Hospital | Hospital |
| Escola | School |
| Trabalho | Work |
| Ônibus | Bus |
| Carro | Car |
| Avião | Plane |
Everyday verbs (20 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Ser / Estar | To be |
| Ter | To have |
| Fazer | To do / make |
| Ir | To go |
| Vir | To come |
| Querer | To want |
| Poder | To be able to |
| Saber | To know |
| Falar | To speak |
| Comer | To eat |
| Beber | To drink |
| Trabalhar | To work |
| Estudar | To study |
| Comprar | To buy |
| Vender | To sell |
| Gostar | To like |
| Precisar | To need |
| Chegar | To arrive |
| Sair | To leave |
| Ficar | To stay / become |
Adjectives and descriptions (15 words)
| Portuguese | English |
|---|
| Bom / Boa | Good |
| Ruim | Bad |
| Grande | Big |
| Pequeno / Pequena | Small |
| Novo / Nova | New |
| Velho / Velha | Old |
| Bonito / Bonita | Pretty / Handsome |
| Feio / Feia | Ugly |
| Fácil | Easy |
| Difícil | Difficult |
| Caro / Cara | Expensive |
| Barato / Barata | Cheap |
| Rápido / Rápida | Fast |
| Devagar | Slowly |
| Cansado / Cansada | Tired |
How to study this list without getting bored
- Group by topic: it's easier to recall "food" words as a block than to memorize random isolated words.
- Build full sentences, not just words: "eu quero um café" (I want a coffee) fixes the word "café" much better than repeating it alone.
- Say it out loud: pronunciation sticks in muscle memory, not just visual memory.
- Use spaced repetition: review the list the next day, then after 3 days, then after a week.
Frequently asked questions
How many words do I need to know to have a basic conversation in Portuguese?
With the 300 to 500 most frequent words, you can handle everyday basic conversations. These first 100 essential words are the foundation for building simple sentences.
What's the best way to memorize new vocabulary?
Learning words inside full sentences and grouped by topic, instead of isolated lists, plus reviewing them with spaced repetition over several days.
Is Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary very different from European Portuguese?
Yes, there are several everyday vocabulary differences between the two variants, such as "ônibus" (Brazil) vs "autocarro" (Portugal), or "celular" vs "telemóvel" for cell phone.
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