Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions
"Good" in Portuguese: bom / boa
bom / boa
Good in Portuguese is bom with masculine nouns and boa with feminine nouns. Say um bom dia and uma boa ideia. As a quick review of food or plans, Muito bom! works on its own.
Greeting
Bom dia! Tudo bem com você?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce bom / boa
Say it
bom / BOH-ah
/ˈbõ/, /ˈboa/
bom like English "bomb" without a strong b ending; boa is BOH-ah.
"Good" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| bom | good (masculine) With masculine nouns: bom café, bom filme. | With masculine nouns: bom café, bom filme. |
| boa | good (feminine) With feminine nouns: boa comida, boa noite. | With feminine nouns: boa comida, boa noite. |
| bom dia / boa tarde / boa noite | good morning / afternoon / evening Standard greetings. | Standard greetings. |
| muito bom | very good Quick praise for food, ideas, or results. | Quick praise for food, ideas, or results. |
| tudo bom? | everything good? / how's it going? Casual Brazilian greeting. | Casual Brazilian greeting. |
How to use bom / boa in real life
- 1Greeting
Bom dia! Tudo bem com você?
Good morning! How are you?
Bom dia uses masculine bom with dia.
- 2Praising a meal
Essa sopa está muito boa.
This soup is very good.
Sopa is feminine, so boa.
- 3Reacting to a plan
Bom plano. Vamos por esse caminho.
Good plan. Let's take that route.
Plano is masculine, so bom.
Mistakes English speakers make with bom / boa
Incorrect: Bom noite!
Correct: Boa noite!
Noite is feminine, so the greeting is boa noite.
Incorrect: Uma bom ideia
Correct: Uma boa ideia
Ideia is feminine: boa ideia.
Good to know
Brazilian greetings lock gender to the time word: bom dia, but boa tarde and boa noite. Getting those three right makes you sound instantly more natural in shops and elevators.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking a presentation with a teammate
ChatPal
Achei o início bom, mas o final precisa de exemplos.
I thought the beginning was good, but the ending needs examples.
You
Faz sentido. Tem uma boa ideia para o fechamento?
That makes sense. Do you have a good idea for the closing?
ChatPal
Tem. Um caso real curto fica bom demais.
Yes. A short real case would be really good.
You
Perfeito. Bom trabalho em equipe hoje.
Perfect. Good teamwork today.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Good" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Good" in Portuguese
When do I use bom vs boa?
Match the noun: bom with masculine words, boa with feminine words.
Why is it bom dia but boa noite?
Dia is masculine; tarde and noite are feminine. The adjective follows the noun.
How do I say very good?
Muito bom or muito boa, agreeing with the thing you praise.
What does tudo bom mean?
A casual "how's it going?" Reply Tudo bom or Tudo bem.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
