🇧🇷 Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary
The 300 most common Brazilian Portuguese words
Learn these first: they make up a big share of everything you'll read. Ranked by frequency, with meanings and examples for the top 50.
| # | Brazilian Portuguese | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | que Acho que vai chover. — I think it's going to rain. | that, which; what; than | conjunction |
| 2 | não Não sei. — I don't know. | no, not | adverb |
| 3 | o O ônibus chegou. — The bus has arrived. | the (masc.); him, it | determiner |
| 4 | de Sou de São Paulo. — I'm from São Paulo. | of, from | preposition |
| 5 | a A casa é bonita. — The house is pretty. | the (fem.); to; her, it | determiner |
| 6 | é Ela é minha irmã. — She's my sister. | is (ser) | verb |
| 7 | você Você fala inglês? — Do you speak English? | you | pronoun |
| 8 | e Arroz e feijão. — Rice and beans. | and | conjunction |
| 9 | eu Eu moro no Rio. — I live in Rio. | I | pronoun |
| 10 | um Tenho um cachorro. — I have a dog. | a, an (masc.); one | determiner |
| 11 | para Isso é para você. — This is for you. | for, to, in order to | preposition |
| 12 | está Como você está? — How are you? | is (estar); you are | verb |
| 13 | uma Quero uma água, por favor. — I'd like a water, please. | a, an (fem.); one | determiner |
| 14 | se Se chover, eu fico em casa. — If it rains, I'll stay home. | if; oneself, himself, herself | conjunction |
| 15 | com Vou com meus amigos. — I'm going with my friends. | with | preposition |
| 16 | por Obrigado por tudo. — Thanks for everything. | for, by, through | preposition |
| 17 | ele Ele trabalha muito. — He works a lot. | he, him, it | pronoun |
| 18 | isso Isso é verdade. — That's true. | that, this | pronoun |
| 19 | em Moro em Salvador. — I live in Salvador. | in, on, at | preposition |
| 20 | do Esse é o carro do meu pai. — That's my father's car. | of the, from the (de + o) | preposition |
| 21 | me Me ajuda, por favor. — Help me, please. | me, to me, myself | pronoun |
| 22 | mas É caro, mas vale a pena. — It's expensive, but it's worth it. | but | conjunction |
| 23 | como Como você se chama? — What's your name? | how; like, as | adverb |
| 24 | bem Estou bem, obrigado. — I'm fine, thanks. | well, fine; very | adverb |
| 25 | da Ela é a filha da vizinha. — She's the neighbor's daughter. | of the, from the (de + a) | preposition |
| 26 | no Ele está no trabalho. — He's at work. | in the, on the (em + o) | preposition |
| 27 | os Os meninos estão jogando bola. — The boys are playing soccer. | the (masc. pl.); them | determiner |
| 28 | ela Ela é médica. — She's a doctor. | she, her, it | pronoun |
| 29 | na As chaves estão na mesa. — The keys are on the table. | in the, on the (em + a) | preposition |
| 30 | sim Sim, claro! — Yes, of course! | yes | adverb |
| 31 | aqui Vem aqui! — Come here! | here | adverb |
| 32 | mais Quero mais café. — I want more coffee. | more, most | adverb |
| 33 | tem Tem pão na cozinha. — There's bread in the kitchen. | has; there is (colloquial) | verb |
| 34 | meu Meu irmão mora em Recife. — My brother lives in Recife. | my, mine (masc.) | determiner |
| 35 | seu Qual é o seu nome? — What's your name? | your, his, her, their (masc.) | determiner |
| 36 | muito Muito obrigado! — Thank you very much! | very, a lot, much | adverb |
| 37 | foi Foi um dia ótimo. — It was a great day. | was; went | verb |
| 38 | as As crianças estão dormindo. — The children are sleeping. | the (fem. pl.); them | determiner |
| 39 | vai Você vai à festa? — Are you going to the party? | goes, is going; will | verb |
| 40 | sua Sua casa é linda. — Your house is lovely. | your, his, her, their (fem.) | determiner |
| 41 | estou Estou com fome. — I'm hungry. | I am (estar) | verb |
| 42 | vamos Vamos embora! — Let's go! | let's go; we go, we will | verb |
| 43 | tudo Tudo bem? — How's it going? (All good?) | everything, all | pronoun |
| 44 | minha Minha mãe é professora. — My mother is a teacher. | my, mine (fem.) | determiner |
| 45 | só Só um minuto. — Just a minute. | only, just; alone | adverb |
| 46 | então Então, o que vamos fazer? — So, what are we going to do? | so, then | adverb |
| 47 | pode Pode me ajudar? — Can you help me? | can, may | verb |
| 48 | agora Agora não posso. — I can't right now. | now | adverb |
| 49 | vou Vou ao mercado. — I'm going to the market. | I go, I'm going; I will | verb |
| 50 | ser Quero ser médico. — I want to be a doctor. | to be | verb |
| 51 | quando | when | conjunction |
| 52 | fazer | to do, to make | verb |
| 53 | sei | I know | verb |
| 54 | eles | they, them | pronoun |
| 55 | nós | we, us | pronoun |
| 56 | tenho | I have | verb |
| 57 | te | you, to you (informal) | pronoun |
| 58 | estava | was (estar) | verb |
| 59 | certo | right, correct; certain | adjective |
| 60 | quer | wants; you want | verb |
| 61 | sabe | knows; you know | verb |
| 62 | já | already; right away | adverb |
| 63 | era | was (ser) | verb |
| 64 | nos | us; in the (pl.) | pronoun |
| 65 | quem | who | pronoun |
| 66 | ou | or | conjunction |
| 67 | ao | to the (a + o) | preposition |
| 68 | nada | nothing | pronoun |
| 69 | disse | said | verb |
| 70 | há | there is; ago | verb |
| 71 | lá | there | adverb |
| 72 | onde | where | adverb |
| 73 | quero | I want | verb |
| 74 | bom | good | adjective |
| 75 | ter | to have | verb |
| 76 | sou | I am (ser) | verb |
| 77 | são | are (ser); saint | verb |
| 78 | dizer | to say, to tell | verb |
| 79 | posso | I can | verb |
| 80 | acho | I think; I find | verb |
| 81 | sobre | about, on | preposition |
| 82 | mim | me (after prepositions) | pronoun |
| 83 | porque | because | conjunction |
| 84 | mesmo | same; even; really | adjective |
| 85 | coisa | thing | noun |
| 86 | todos | all, everyone | pronoun |
| 87 | estão | they are (estar) | verb |
| 88 | algo | something | pronoun |
| 89 | até | until; even | preposition |
| 90 | tempo | time; weather | noun |
| 91 | assim | like this, so | adverb |
| 92 | nunca | never | adverb |
| 93 | vocês | you (pl.) | pronoun |
| 94 | esse | this, that (masc.) | determiner |
| 95 | casa | house, home | noun |
| 96 | quê | what (stressed) | pronoun |
| 97 | essa | this, that (fem.) | determiner |
| 98 | à | to the (a + a) | preposition |
| 99 | ver | to see | verb |
| 100 | também | also, too | adverb |
| 101 | pra | for, to (colloquial para) | preposition |
| 102 | ainda | still, yet | adverb |
| 103 | tão | so | adverb |
| 104 | dos | of the (pl.) | preposition |
| 105 | cara | guy, dude; face | noun |
| 106 | favor | favor (por favor = please) | noun |
| 107 | ir | to go | verb |
| 108 | melhor | better, best | adjective |
| 109 | noite | night, evening | noun |
| 110 | sem | without | preposition |
| 111 | temos | we have | verb |
| 112 | obrigado | thank you (said by a man) | interjection |
| 113 | dia | day | noun |
| 114 | talvez | maybe | adverb |
| 115 | pai | father | noun |
| 116 | estamos | we are (estar) | verb |
| 117 | esta | this (fem.) | determiner |
| 118 | deus | God | noun |
| 119 | alguém | someone | pronoun |
| 120 | mãe | mother | noun |
| 121 | vida | life | noun |
| 122 | senhor | sir, Mr.; lord | noun |
| 123 | este | this (masc.) | determiner |
| 124 | isto | this | pronoun |
| 125 | sempre | always | adverb |
| 126 | ano | year | noun |
| 127 | vez | time, occasion | noun |
| 128 | verdade | truth | noun |
| 129 | seus | your, his, her (pl.) | determiner |
| 130 | dele | his, of him | pronoun |
| 131 | ficar | to stay; to become | verb |
| 132 | parece | seems | verb |
| 133 | claro | of course; clear, light | adjective |
| 134 | depois | after, later | adverb |
| 135 | tinha | had | verb |
| 136 | falar | to speak, to talk | verb |
| 137 | antes | before | adverb |
| 138 | pessoa | person (pessoas = people) | noun |
| 139 | pouco | little, few | adverb |
| 140 | pelo | by the, through the (por + o) | preposition |
| 141 | preciso | I need | verb |
| 142 | apenas | only, just | adverb |
| 143 | homem | man | noun |
| 144 | deve | must, should | verb |
| 145 | nem | nor, not even | conjunction |
| 146 | boa | good (fem.) | adjective |
| 147 | dois | two | number |
| 148 | fazendo | doing, making | verb |
| 149 | todo | all, every, whole | determiner |
| 150 | lugar | place | noun |
| 151 | faz | does, makes; ago | verb |
| 152 | acha | thinks, finds | verb |
| 153 | fez | did, made | verb |
| 154 | aí | there | adverb |
| 155 | fora | out, outside | adverb |
| 156 | estar | to be (state, location) | verb |
| 157 | qual | which, what | pronoun |
| 158 | disso | of that, about that | pronoun |
| 159 | trabalho | work, job | noun |
| 160 | precisa | needs | verb |
| 161 | hoje | today | adverb |
| 162 | ninguém | nobody | pronoun |
| 163 | novo | new, young | adjective |
| 164 | queria | wanted; would like | verb |
| 165 | comigo | with me | pronoun |
| 166 | mundo | world | noun |
| 167 | saber | to know | verb |
| 168 | alguma | some, any (fem.) | determiner |
| 169 | dar | to give | verb |
| 170 | podemos | we can | verb |
| 171 | grande | big, great | adjective |
| 172 | sinto | I feel (sinto muito = I'm sorry) | verb |
| 173 | seja | be (subjunctive) | verb |
| 174 | nossa | our (fem.); wow! | determiner |
| 175 | poderia | could | verb |
| 176 | dinheiro | money | noun |
| 177 | será | will be | verb |
| 178 | nome | name | noun |
| 179 | quanto | how much | adverb |
| 180 | qualquer | any | determiner |
| 181 | pela | by the, through the (fem.) | preposition |
| 182 | outro | other, another | determiner |
| 183 | lhe | to him, to her, to you | pronoun |
| 184 | dela | her, hers, of her | pronoun |
| 185 | nosso | our | determiner |
| 186 | oi | hi | interjection |
| 187 | desculpe | sorry, excuse me | interjection |
| 188 | filho | son, child | noun |
| 189 | certeza | certainty (tenho certeza = I'm sure) | noun |
| 190 | vão | they go; they will | verb |
| 191 | hora | hour, time | noun |
| 192 | outra | other, another (fem.) | determiner |
| 193 | sair | to go out, to leave | verb |
| 194 | toda | all, whole (fem.) | determiner |
| 195 | volta | return; comes back | noun |
| 196 | problema | problem | noun |
| 197 | olá | hello | interjection |
| 198 | tipo | type, kind; like | noun |
| 199 | realmente | really | adverb |
| 200 | sabia | knew | verb |
| 201 | aconteceu | happened | verb |
| 202 | menos | less, minus | adverb |
| 203 | mulher | woman, wife | noun |
| 204 | algum | some, any | determiner |
| 205 | diga | say, tell (command) | verb |
| 206 | falando | speaking, talking | verb |
| 207 | espere | wait | verb |
| 208 | ótimo | great | adjective |
| 209 | carro | car | noun |
| 210 | amigo | friend | noun |
| 211 | primeiro | first | adjective |
| 212 | deveria | should | verb |
| 213 | seria | would be | verb |
| 214 | venha | come (command) | verb |
| 215 | três | three | number |
| 216 | entre | between, among | preposition |
| 217 | daqui | from here | adverb |
| 218 | sério | serious; really? | adjective |
| 219 | diz | says | verb |
| 220 | voltar | to come back | verb |
| 221 | parte | part | noun |
| 222 | amor | love; darling | noun |
| 223 | feliz | happy | adjective |
| 224 | viu | saw; you see? | verb |
| 225 | embora | although; away (ir embora = to leave) | adverb |
| 226 | família | family | noun |
| 227 | olha | look | verb |
| 228 | deixar | to leave, to let | verb |
| 229 | atrás | behind | adverb |
| 230 | faça | do (command/subjunctive) | verb |
| 231 | pensei | I thought | verb |
| 232 | ajudar | to help | verb |
| 233 | aquele | that (over there) | determiner |
| 234 | duas | two (fem.) | number |
| 235 | querida | dear, darling (fem.) | adjective |
| 236 | frente | front (em frente = in front) | noun |
| 237 | vi | I saw | verb |
| 238 | indo | going | verb |
| 239 | fui | I went; I was | verb |
| 240 | vem | comes | verb |
| 241 | lado | side | noun |
| 242 | podem | they can | verb |
| 243 | fiz | I did, I made | verb |
| 244 | pare | stop | verb |
| 245 | tarde | afternoon; late | noun |
| 246 | gosto | I like; taste | verb |
| 247 | precisamos | we need | verb |
| 248 | caso | case | noun |
| 249 | fique | stay (command) | verb |
| 250 | dentro | inside | adverb |
| 251 | cidade | city | noun |
| 252 | momento | moment | noun |
| 253 | pegar | to take, to catch | verb |
| 254 | foram | were; went | verb |
| 255 | nenhum | no, none | determiner |
| 256 | gente | people (a gente = we) | noun |
| 257 | somos | we are (ser) | verb |
| 258 | amanhã | tomorrow | adverb |
| 259 | cabeça | head | noun |
| 260 | gostaria | would like | verb |
| 261 | mal | badly; evil | adverb |
| 262 | enquanto | while | conjunction |
| 263 | logo | soon; right away | adverb |
| 264 | desde | since | preposition |
| 265 | tanto | so much | adverb |
| 266 | garota | girl | noun |
| 267 | legal | cool, nice; legal | adjective |
| 268 | amo | I love | verb |
| 269 | rápido | fast, quickly | adjective |
| 270 | cada | each, every | determiner |
| 271 | jeito | way, manner | noun |
| 272 | tentando | trying | verb |
| 273 | meio | half; middle; kind of | adjective |
| 274 | medo | fear | noun |
| 275 | importa | matters | verb |
| 276 | irmão | brother | noun |
| 277 | errado | wrong | adjective |
| 278 | história | story, history | noun |
| 279 | quase | almost | adverb |
| 280 | encontrar | to find, to meet | verb |
| 281 | pessoal | guys, folks; personal | noun |
| 282 | difícil | difficult | adjective |
| 283 | forma | form, way | noun |
| 284 | contra | against | preposition |
| 285 | matar | to kill | verb |
| 286 | semana | week | noun |
| 287 | perto | near | adverb |
| 288 | demais | too much; awesome (slang) | adverb |
| 289 | entrar | to enter, to come in | verb |
| 290 | deu | gave | verb |
| 291 | achei | I found; I thought | verb |
| 292 | vejo | I see | verb |
| 293 | polícia | police | noun |
| 294 | espero | I hope; I wait | verb |
| 295 | juntos | together | adverb |
| 296 | ajuda | help | noun |
| 297 | caminho | way, path | noun |
| 298 | criança | child | noun |
| 299 | manhã | morning | noun |
| 300 | sorte | luck | noun |
Frequency ranking based on OpenSubtitles 2018 subtitles (hermitdave/FrequencyWords).
Questions
What are the most common Brazilian Portuguese words?
The top ten are que (that), não (no), o (the (masc.); him), de (of), a (the (fem.); to; her), é (is (ser)), você (you), e (and), eu (I), um (a).
How many Brazilian Portuguese words do I need to know?
The few hundred most frequent words make up a large share of any everyday text, which is why they're the best place to start. To read graded stories comfortably you need roughly 1,000–2,000; for unadapted books, several thousand. Test yourself with the Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary size test.
Where does this list come from?
The ranking is based on OpenSubtitles 2018 subtitles (hermitdave/FrequencyWords), cleaned by hand to remove names, fragments and noise, with meanings added for learners.