Pocket phrasebook
Speak a little Portuguese
and a touch of manezinho.
A handful of words and phrases that go a long way in Brazil — and a small corner of slang from the locals of Florianópolis, the manezinhos, whose accent and vocabulary trace back to the Azorean settlers of 1748.
Greetings
The first words you'll need.
Olá
Hello
Say it likeoh-LAH
Universal, works any time of day.
Oi
Hi
Say it likeOY
Casual. What friends say.
Bom dia
Good morning
Say it likebohm JEE-ah
Until ~midday.
Boa tarde
Good afternoon
Say it likeBOH-ah TAR-jee
From midday to sunset.
Boa noite
Good evening / Good night
Say it likeBOH-ah NOY-chee
After dark, both arriving and leaving.
Tchau
Bye
Say it likeCHOW
From the Italian ciao — universal in Brazil.
Até logo
See you later
Say it likeah-TEH LOH-goo
Slightly more formal goodbye.
Politeness goes far
Brazilians notice when you try.
Por favor
Please
Say it likepoor fah-VOR
Goes at the end of the sentence in Portuguese.
Obrigado / Obrigada
Thank you
Say it likeoh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah
Obrigado if you're male, obrigada if female.
De nada
You're welcome
Say it likejee NAH-dah
Literally 'of nothing'.
Com licença
Excuse me
Say it likekohm lee-SEN-sah
To pass, get attention or interrupt politely.
Desculpa
Sorry
Say it likejeess-COOL-pah
For small apologies. Use 'desculpe' for something more serious.
Tudo bem?
How are you? / All good?
Say it likeTOO-doo BAYM
Used as both greeting and answer — say it back.
Survival kit
Asking, answering, getting unstuck.
Sim
Yes
Say it likeseem
Não
No
Say it likenowng
The 'ão' is nasal — a sound English doesn't quite have.
Você fala inglês?
Do you speak English?
Say it likevoh-SAY FAH-lah eeng-GLAYSS
Useful early in the conversation.
Não entendi
I didn't understand
Say it likenowng en-ten-JEE
No shame in this one — say it often.
Quanto custa?
How much does it cost?
Say it likeKWAN-too COOSS-tah
Onde fica…?
Where is…?
Say it likeOHN-jee FEE-kah
Add the place: 'Onde fica a praia?'
Pode me ajudar?
Can you help me?
Say it likePOH-jee mee ah-zhoo-DAR
Food & drink
From the bar counter to the table.
Água
Water
Say it likeAH-gwah
Ask for água sem gás (still) or com gás (sparkling).
Cerveja
Beer
Say it likeser-VAY-zhah
A small draught is uma chopp; a big bottle, uma garrafa.
Café
Coffee
Say it likekah-FEH
Default is small, strong and sweetened — say 'sem açúcar' for no sugar.
A conta, por favor
The bill, please
Say it likeah KOHN-tah poor fah-VOR
In Brazil, you ask for it — it never comes on its own.
Está delicioso!
It's delicious!
Say it likeess-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-zoo
Brazilians love this one.
Sou vegetariano / vegetariana
I'm vegetarian
Say it likesoh veh-zheh-tah-ree-AH-noo / -nah
For vegan, use 'vegano / vegana'.
Beach & sun
You'll be using these a lot.
Praia
Beach
Say it likePRY-ah
Mar
Sea
Say it likemar
Onda
Wave
Say it likeOHN-dah
Also slang for 'mood' or 'vibe' — 'qual a onda?'
Sol
Sun
Say it likesoll
Que calor!
It's so hot!
Say it likekee kah-LOR
You'll say this all summer.
A taste of manezinho
The Azorean-flavoured dialect of Florianópolis — affectionate, sing-song, full of character.
Manezinho
A native of Floripa
Say it likemah-neh-ZEEN-yoo
Affectionate term. The dialect itself is also called manezinho or manezês.
Tu
You (informal singular)
Say it liketoo
Most of Brazil uses 'você'; Floripa is one of the few places that still uses 'tu' — often with the 'wrong' verb conjugation, which is part of the charm.
Né?
Right? / Innit?
Say it likeneh
End-of-sentence tag. Floripeños use it constantly. Tudo bem, né?
Bah!
Whoa! / No way!
Say it likebah
Expression of surprise — borrowed from gaúcho neighbours and adopted enthusiastically.
Que massa!
Awesome!
Say it likekee MAH-sah
'Que massa!' = 'How cool!'
Bicho
Mate / dude
Say it likeBEE-shoo
Affectionate. 'Bicho, tudo bem?'
Não sei lhufas
I haven't a clue
Say it likenowng say LYOO-fahss
Pure manezinho — you won't hear 'lhufas' anywhere else in Brazil.
Got a phrase you want to add? Tell us — we'll keep this one growing.