Please and thank you in Brazilian Portuguese

Level A1

Please and thank you in Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilians use por favor much like English uses "please", at the end of a request or at the start. Saying thank you is where English speakers slip: obrigado literally means "obliged", so it matches the person speaking — a man says obrigado, a woman says obrigada. To get past someone or catch their attention, say com licença (literally "with permission"), not the "sorry" you might use in English; keep desculpe for when you're really apologizing. With friends, most of these get shorter and looser: desculpa instead of desculpe, valeu for thanks, relaxa for "don't worry" and imagina for "anytime".

Por favor, Obrigado and Muito obrigado: the three words you'll use every day

Obrigado or obrigada? It depends on who is speaking, not on who you thank

Said by a manSaid by a woman
Obrigado.Obrigada.
Muito obrigado.Muito obrigada.

Answering thanks: De nada, or the more relaxed Sem problema

Asking for something: just add por favor — to a waiter or to a friend

A conta, por favor.

Saying sorry with Desculpe, and Não se preocupe when someone apologizes to you

Com licença to get attention or get past, Perdão? when you didn't hear

Ordering in a café: Com licença to call the waiter, and the waiter's Pois não

Getting past people on a crowded bus: Com licença, posso passar?

Meeting a friend who's late: Desculpa, Relaxa, Valeu and Imagina

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