Portuguese vocabulary
Portuguese vocabulary for real conversations
These pages teach Brazilian Portuguese, the Portuguese you will hear at a padaria in São Paulo, on a beach in Salvador, or on a video call with friends in Rio. When Portugal uses a different word or spelling, like autocarro for ônibus, we show it next to the Brazilian form. Every noun comes with o or a, so you learn its gender from the start.
Italian
Hindi
German
French
SpanishGreetings & Essentials
Hellos, thank-yous, polite phrases, and the small words every conversation needs.
Food & Drink
Meals, ingredients, drinks, and the phrases you need at a café or restaurant.
People & Family
Family members, friends, jobs, and how to talk about the people in your life.
Emotions & Descriptions
Feelings, personality, and the adjectives you use to describe people and things.
Body & Health
Body parts, symptoms, and what to say at the doctor or pharmacy.
Everyday Verbs
The 100 action words you use most, from “to be” to “to invite”.
Travel & Getting Around
Transport, directions, hotels, money, and phrases for finding your way.
Home, Clothes & Daily Life
Rooms, furniture, clothes, work and school, and shopping.
Nature, Animals & Weather
Animals, landscapes, plants, and how to talk about the weather.
Time, Numbers & Colors
Numbers 0–1,000, days, months, seasons, colors, and telling time.
Why speaking matters
Why saying words out loud helps them stick
Reading a word list teaches you to recognize a word. Using it in a sentence, out loud, teaches you to produce it when you need it. That is the skill a real conversation asks for.
ChatPal is built around that second step: you pick a scenario, speak, and get feedback, so the words on this page become words you can actually say.
The ChatPal way
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- 01
See it in context.
Every word here comes with real example sentences, not just a translation.
- 02
Say it out loud.
In ChatPal you speak Portuguese with an AI conversation partner, at your own pace.
- 03
Get feedback.
ChatPal gives you personalized feedback on what you said, so you know what to fix.
- 04
Use it in real scenarios.
Practice ordering food, meeting people, or asking for directions until the words come naturally.
FAQ
Learning Portuguese vocabulary
How many Portuguese words do I need to have a conversation?
Fewer than you might think. A few hundred words, built around verbs like ser, estar, ter, and ir, will carry you through simple conversations. You also start with a head start: many English words ending in -tion have Portuguese partners ending in -ção, like informação and situação.
What is the hardest part of Portuguese vocabulary for English speakers?
False friends. Puxe on a door means pull, not push. Esquisito means strange, not exquisite, and parentes are your relatives, not your parents (those are os pais). Learn these early, and learn each noun with o or a so you know its gender.
How do I remember Portuguese words long-term?
Say each new word in a short sentence about your own day, out loud. Sounds like the nasal ão in pão or the h-like r in carro only feel natural after you have said them many times. Come back to a topic a few days later and try to use the words without looking.
Can I practice speaking Portuguese with AI?
Yes. In ChatPal you practice Brazilian Portuguese by speaking with an AI conversation partner, in scenarios like ordering at a botequim in Rio or asking for directions in São Paulo. After each conversation you get personalized feedback on what you said.
Looking for another language? See all vocabulary lists
Ready to say it out loud?
ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Portuguese. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.
Start with 7 days free.