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Master the Basics: The 1000 Most Common Portuguese Words

Have you been wanting to start learning Portuguese? Or have you already started but feel your vocabulary needs a little push?

Learning the 1000 most frequently used Portuguese words can help! Whether you are just beginning your Portuguese journey or looking to take your skills to the next level, having a sturdy base is essential. These words lay the foundation for effective communication and understanding in everyday situations.

You will see how easy it becomes to navigate daily tasks and move on to more advanced vocabulary. Through this key vocabulary, you can quickly build a strong language base to engage with native speakers.

Learning Portuguese Vocabulary Words: Build A Strong Foundation

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The word tone is spelled out in scrabble letters
Learn the 1000 most common Portuguese words

What Are The Most Frequent Words in Portuguese?

The most common Portuguese words are those that natives use most frequently. These terms are usually simple but hold great importance in everyday communication. Studies show that speakers rarely speak more than 800 to 1000 different words per day, despite knowing many more.

Thus, these common words are the building blocks of the language. They are essential for developing basic fluency and engaging in everyday interactions. We do not advise you to memorize them as that will likely prove ineffective. But knowing and including them in your vocabulary notebook is one of the steps toward expanding your Portuguese proficiency.

The Top 500 Common Portuguese Words You Need to Know

Continue reading to discover the 1000 most common words in Portuguese. Find example sentences and audio files that provide context and help you use these words in practical situations.

Basic Vocabulary

Common Objects

Macbook Pro on White Table
Learn everyday European Portuguese vocabulary
  1. carro (car)
  2. mesa (table)
  3. cadeira (chair)
  4. porta (door)
  5. janela (window)
  6. cama (bed)
  7. livro (book)
  8. caneta (pen)
  9. papel (paper)
  10. chave (key)
  11. dinheiro (money)
  12. lâmpada (lamp)
  13. frigorífico (fridge)
  14. fogão (stove)
  15. microondas (microwave)
  16. máquina de lavar (washing machine)
  17. secadora (dryer)
  18. aspirador (vacuum cleaner)
  19. ventilador (fan)

Numbers (Números)

  1. um (one)
  2. dois (two)
  3. três (three)
  4. quatro (four)
  5. cinco (five)
  6. seis (six)
  7. sete (seven)
  8. oito (eight)
  9. nove (nine)
  10. dez (ten)
  11. onze (eleven)
  12. doze (twelve)
  13. treze (thirteen)
  14. catorze (fourteen)
  15. quinze (fifteen)
  16. dezasseis (sixteen)
  17. dezassete (seventeen)
  18. dezoito (eighteen)
  19. dezanove (nineteen)
  20. vinte (twenty)
  21. vinte e um (twenty-one)
  22. trinta (thirty)
  23. quarenta (forty)
  24. cinquenta (fifty)
  25. sessenta (sixty)
  26. setenta (seventy)
  27. oitenta (eighty)
  28. noventa (ninety)
  29. cem (one hundred)
  30. cento e um (one hundred and one)
  31. duzentos (two hundred)
  32. trezentos (three hundred)
  33. quatrocentos (four hundred)
  34. quinhentos (five hundred)
  35. seiscentos (six hundred)
  36. setecentos (seven hundred)
  37. oitocentos (eight hundred)
  38. novecentos (nine hundred)
  39. mil (thousand)
  40. um milhão (one million)
  41. dois milhões (two million)
  42. um bilhão (one billion)
  43. dois bilhões (two billion)
  44. primeiro/a (first – masculine/feminine)
  45. segundo/a (second – masculine/feminine)
  46. terceiro/a (third, masculine/feminine)
  47. quarto/a (fourth – masculine/feminine)
  48. quinto/a (fifth – masculine/feminine)

Learn more about the numbers in Portuguese and how to pronounce them in: Numbers 1-10 in European Portuguese

Numbers 1-10 in European Portuguese

Nature (Natureza)

  1. terra (earth)
  2. lua (moon)
  3. sol (sun)
  4. estrela (star)
  5. céu (sky)
  6. mar (sea)
  7. areia (sand)
  8. rio (river)
  9. montanha (mountain)
  10. floresta (forest)
  11. árvore (tree)
  12. flor (flower)
  13. relva (grass)
  14. folha (leaf)
  15. pedra (stone)
  16. fogo (fire)
  17. gelo (ice)
  18. raio (lightning)
  19. trovão (thunder)
  20. nuvem (cloud)
  21. arco-íris (rainbow)

Animals (Animais)

  1. cão (dog)
  2. gato (cat)
  3. pássaro (bird)
  4. peixe (fish)
  5. cavalo (horse)
  6. vaca (cow)
  7. porco (pig)
  8. coelho (rabbit)
  9. ovelha (sheep)
  10. cabra (goat)
  11. galinha (chicken)

Colors (Cores)

  1. branco (white)
  2. preto (black)
  3. vermelho (red)
  4. azul (blue)
  5. verde (green)
  6. amarelo (yellow)
  7. castanho (brown)
  8. cinzento (gray)
  9. cor de rosa (pink)
  10. roxo (purple)
  11. cor de laranja (orange)
  12. prateado (silver)
  13. dourado (golden)
  14. turquesa (turquoise)
  15. bege (beige)
  16. violeta (violet)
  17. lilás (lilac)
  18. bordô (burgundy)

Discover how to pronounce the colors in European Portuguese! Watch Colours (colors) in European Portuguese

Colours (colors) in European Portuguese

Clothing and Acessories (Roupa e Acessórios)

  1. luvas (gloves)
  2. cinto (belt)
  3. óculos (glasses)
  4. óculos de sol (sunglasses)
  5. relógio (watch)
  6. mala (bag)
  7. mochila (backpack)
  8. cachecol (scarf)
  9. colar (necklace)
  10. camisa (shirt)
  11. calças (pants, trousers)
  12. vestido (dress)
  13. saia (skirt)
  14. sapatos (shoes)
  15. meias (socks)
  16. casaco (coat)
  17. chapéu (hat)
  18. blusa (blouse)
  19. ténis (sneakers)
  20. brincos (earings)
  21. anel (ring)

Technology (Tecnologia)

  1. computador (computer)
  2. telefone (phone)
  3. telemóvel (cell phone)
  4. carregador (charger)
  5. ligação (connection)
  6. teclado (keyboard)
  7. ecrã (screen)
  8. impressora (printer)
  9. aplicação (application, app)
  10. cabo (cable)
Unrecognizable female with wineglass of alcoholic drink standing bear window in cozy room with couch and potted flowers with green leaves
Learn food and beverage terms in Portuguese

Food and Drink (Comida e Bebida)

  1. água (water)
  2. vinho (wine)
  3. cerveja (beer)
  4. pão (bread)
  5. carne (meat)
  6. peixe (fish)
  7. fruta (fruit)
  8. legumes (vegetables)
  9. sopa (soup)
  10. salada (salad)
  11. doce (dessert)
  12. bolo (cake)
  13. chocolate (chocolate)
  14. café (coffee)
  15. chá (tea)
  16. pequeno-almoço (breakfast)
  17. almoço (lunch)
  18. jantar (dinner)
  19. lanche (snack)
  20. sumo (juice)
  21. refrigerante (soda)

Miscellaneous

  1. coisa (thing)
  2. pessoa (person)
  3. nome (name)
  4. história (story)
  5. música (music)
  6. jogo (game)
  7. filme (movie)
  8. trabalho (work)
  9. viagem (trip)
  10. mapa (map)

The Human Body (O Corpo Humano)

Body Parts (Partes do Corpo)

  1. cabeça (head)
  2. pescoço (neck)
  3. nuca (nape)
  4. garganta (throat)
  5. ombro (shoulder)
  6. braço (arm)
  7. cotovelo (elbow)
  8. mão (hand)
  9. pulso (wrist)
  10. dedo (finger)
  11. peito (chest)
  12. barriga (belly)
  13. costas (back)
  14. perna (leg)
  15. joelho (knee)
  16. (foot)
  17. calcanhar (heel)
  18. tornozelo (ankle)
Man Facing Sideways
Discover words related to anatomy in Portuguese

The Face (A Cara)

  1. cabelo (hair)
  2. rosto (face)
  3. olho (eye)
  4. nariz (nose)
  5. boca (mouth)
  6. dente (tooth)
  7. língua (tongue)
  8. orelha (ear)
  9. sobrancelha (eyebrow)
  10. pestanas (eyelashes)
  11. bochecha (cheek)
  12. maxilar (jaw)
  13. queixo (chin)

Anatomia (Anatomy)

  1. cérebro (brain)
  2. coração (heart)
  3. pulmão (lung)
  4. estômago (stomach)
  5. fígado (liver)
  6. rim (kidney)
  7. pele (skin)
  8. músculo (muscle)
  9. tendão (tendon)
  10. articulações (joints)
  11. osso (bone)
  12. veia (vein)

Locations and Means of Transport (Localizações e Meios de Transporte)

Transportation (Transporte)

  1. carro (car)
  2. autocarro (bus)
  3. comboio (train)
  4. avião (plane)
  5. bicicleta (bicycle)
  6. barco (boat)
  7. táxi (taxi)
  8. metro (subway)
  9. moto (motorcycle)
  10. camião (truck)
  11. passageiro/a (passenger, masculine/feminine)
  12. peão (pedestrian)
  13. semáforo (traffic light)
  14. estrada (road)
  15. ponte (bridge)
  16. autoestrada (highway)
  17. cruzamento (crossroad)
  18. trânsito (traffic)
White and Black Cross Illustration
Learn expressions about means of transport and directions

Places (Lugares)

  1. cidade (city)
  2. vila (village)
  3. país (country)
  4. rua (street)
  5. praça (square)
  6. loja (store)
  7. mercado (market)
  8. farmácia (pharmacy)
  9. restaurante (restaurant)
  10. igreja (church)
  11. museu (museum)
  12. biblioteca (library)
  13. escola (school)
  14. universidade (university)
  15. hospital (hospital)
  16. parque (park)
  17. praia (beach)
  18. estação (station)
  19. aeroporto (airport)

Directions (Direções)

  1. direita (right)
  2. esquerda (left)
  3. frente (front)
  4. atrás (back)
  5. perto (near)
  6. longe (far)
  7. aqui (here)
  8. ali (there)

School and Work (Escola e Trabalho)

School (Escola)

  1. aluno/a (student – masculine/feminine)
  2. caderno (notebook)
  3. borracha (eraser)
  4. diretor/a (principal – masculine/feminine)
  5. biblioteca (library)
  6. cantina (cafeteria)
  7. aula (class)
  8. lição (lesson)
  9. teste (exam)
  10. nota (grade)
  11. matéria (subject)
  12. formatura (graduation)

Occupations (Profissões)

  1. médico/a (doctor – masculine/feminine)
  2. enfermeiro/a (nurse – masculine/feminine)
  3. professor/a (teacher – masculine/ feminine)
  4. engenheiro/a (engineer – masculine/feminine)
  5. arquiteto/a (architect – masculine/feminine)
  6. advogado/a (lawyer – masculine/feminine)
  7. polícia (police officer)
  8. bombeiro/a (firefighter – masculine/feminine)
  9. motorista (driver)
  10. cozinheiro/a (cook – masculine/feminine)
  11. vendedor/a (salesperson – masculine/feminine)
  12. agricultor/a (farmer – masculine/feminine)
  13. cientista (scientist)
  14. mecânico (mechanic – masculine/feminine)
  15. pintor/a (painter – masculine/feminine)
  16. escritor/a (writer – masculine/feminine)
  17. jornalista (journalist)
  18. fotógrafo/a (photographer – masculine/feminine)

Grammatical Words

  1. a/o (the – feminine/masculine)
  2. de (of, from)
  3. que (that, than)
  4. e (and)
  5. um (a, an)
  6. em (in, on)
  7. para (for, to)
  8. com (with)
Grammar and semantics are a common difficulty among language learners
Explore grammatical words in European Portuguese

Pronouns (Pronomes)

  1. eu (I)
  2. tu (you – informal singular)
  3. ele (he)
  4. ela (she)
  5. nós (we)
  6. vós (you – formal plural)
  7. eles (they – masculine)
  8. elas (they – feminine)
  9. meu (my – masculine)
  10. minha (my – feminine)
  11. teu (your – informal singular masculine)
  12. tua (your – informal singular feminine)
  13. seu (his, her, your – formal masculine)
  14. sua (his, her, your – formal feminine)
  15. nosso/a (our – masculine/feminine)
  16. vosso/a (your – formal plural masculine/feminine)
  17. mim (me)
  18. ti (you – informal singular)
  19. si (himself, herself, yourself – formal)

Adverbs (Advérbios)

  1. muito (very)
  2. bem (well)
  3. mal (badly)
  4. sempre (always)
  5. nunca (never)
  6. às vezes (sometimes)
  7. hoje (today)
  8. amanhã (tomorrow)
  9. ontem (yesterday)
  10. agora (now)

Prepositions (Preposições)

  1. em (in, on)
  2. para (for, to)
  3. com (with)
  4. de (of, from)
  5. a (to, at)
  6. por (by, through)
  7. debaixo (under)
  8. sobre (about, over)
  9. entre (between)
  10. sem (without)

Verbs (Verbos)

  1. ser (to be, permanent states and characteristics)
  2. estar (to be, temporary states and feelings)
  3. ter (to have)
  4. fazer (to do, to make)
  5. poder (can, to be able to)
  6. dizer (to say)
  7. ir (to go)
  8. ver (to see)
  9. dar (to give)
  10. saber (to know)
  11. querer (to want)
  12. chegar (to arrive)
  13. falar (to speak)
  14. ouvir (to hear)
  15. partir (to leave, to break)
  16. gostar (to like)
  17. pensar (to think)
  18. trazer (to bring)
  19. vir (to come)
  20. comer (to eat)

Learn more about Portuguese verbs in The Ultimate List of Portuguese Verbs You Can Learn Today!

Plus, watch: The TOP 50 most used Verbs by the Portuguese

The TOP 50 most used Verbs by the Portuguese

Adjectives (Adjetivos)

  1. bom (good – masculine)
  2. boa (good – feminine)
  3. mau (bad – masculine)
  4. (bad – feminine)
  5. grande (big, large)
  6. pequeno/a (small, little – masculine/feminine)
  7. velho/a (old – masculine/feminine)
  8. novo/a (new, young – masculine/feminine)
  9. alto/a (tall, high – masculine/feminine)
  10. baixo/a (short, low – masculine/feminine)
  11. largo/a (wide, broad – masculine/feminine)
  12. estreito/a (narrow, masculine/feminine)
  13. forte (strong)
  14. fraco/a (weak, masculine/feminine)
  15. claro (light)
  16. escuro (dark)
  17. lento (slow)
  18. rápido (fast)
  19. sujo (dirty)
  20. limpo (clean)
  21. curto/a (short – masculine/feminine)
  22. longo/a (long – masculine/feminine)
  23. bonito/a (beautiful – masculine/feminine)
  24. giro/a (cute – masculine/feminine)

Time and Dates (Tempo e Datas)

Days of the Week (Dias da Semana)

  1. segunda-feira (Monday)
  2. terça-feira (Tuesday)
  3. quarta-feira (Wednesday)
  4. quinta-feira (Thursday)
  5. sexta-feira (Friday)
  6. sábado (Saturday)
  7. domingo (Sunday)
Days of the Week in Portuguese

Months (Meses)

  1. janeiro (January)
  2. fevereiro (February)
  3. março (March)
  4. abril (April)
  5. maio (May)
  6. junho (June)
  7. julho (July)
  8. agosto (August)
  9. setembro (September)
  10. outubro (October)
  11. novembro (November)
  12. dezembro (December)

Seasons (Estações)

  1. primavera (spring)
  2. verão (summer)
  3. outono (autumn)
  4. inverno (winter)
Months & Seasons in European Portuguese

Times of the Day (Alturas do Dia)

  1. nascer do sol (sunrise)
  2. manhã (morning)
  3. meio-dia (midday, noon)
  4. tarde (afternoon)
  5. pôr do sol (sunset)
  6. noite (night, evening)
  7. madrugada (dawn or dusk)
  8. meia-noite (midnight)

Time (Tempo)

  1. hora (hour)
  2. minuto (minute)
  3. segundo (second)
  4. dia (day)
  5. semana (week)
  6. mês (month)
  7. ano (year)
  8. fim de semana (weekend)
  9. feriado (holiday)
  10. dia útil (weekday)
  11. data (date)
  12. calendário (calendar)
  13. ano novo (new year)

Weather (Clima)

  1. tempo (weather)
  2. sol (sun)
  3. solarengo (sunny)
  4. chuva (rain)
  5. neve (snow)
  6. vento (wind)
  7. nublado (cloudy)
  8. quente (hot)
  9. frio (cold)
  10. tempestade (storm)

Relationships and Feelings (Relacionamentos e Sentimentos)

Kinship (Graus de Parentesco)

  1. pai (father)
  2. mãe (mother)
  3. irmão (brother)
  4. irmã (sister)
  5. filho (son)
  6. filha (daughter)
  7. avô (grandfather)
  8. avó (grandmother)
  9. tio (uncle)
  10. tia (aunt)
  11. primo/a (cousin – masculine/feminine)
  12. sobrinho (nephew)
  13. sobrinha (niece)
  14. neto (grandson)
  15. neta (grand-daughter)
  16. bisneto/a (great-grandson/grand-daughter)
Man Standing Beside His Wife Teaching Their Child How to Ride Bicycle
Acquire Portuguese vocabulary words related to family and friends

Friendship (Amizade)

  1. amigo/a (friend – masculine/feminine)
  2. melhor amigo (best friend)

Emotions (Emoções)

  1. feliz (happy)
  2. triste (sad)
  3. zangado/a (angry – masculine/ feminine)
  4. cansado/a (tired – masculine/feminine)
  5. assustado/a (scared – masculine/feminine)
  6. animado/a (excited – masculine/ feminine)
  7. chateado (upset – masculine/feminine)
  8. aborrecido/a (bored – masculine/feminine)
  9. apaixonado/a (in love – masculine/feminine)
  10. ansioso/a (anxious – masculine/feminine)
  11. calmo/a (calm – masculine/feminine)
  12. deprimido/a (depressed – masculine/feminine)
  13. esperançoso/a (hopeful – masculine/feminine)
  14. orgulhoso/a (proud – masculine/feminine)
  15. nervoso/a (nervous – masculine/feminine)

Common Phrases (Frases Comuns)

  1. bom dia (good morning)
  2. boa tarde (good afternoon)
  3. boa noite (good night)
  4. olá (hello)
  5. adeus (goodbye)
  6. por favor (please)
  7. obrigado (thank you – if you are masculine)
  8. obrigada (thank you – if you are feminine)
  9. desculpe (sorry, excuse me)
  10. com licença (excuse me)
  11. talvez (maybe)
  12. sim (yes)
  13. não (no)
  14. tudo bem? (everything okay?)
  15. como está? (how are you?)
  16. estou bem (I am fine)
  17. muito obrigado (thank you very much)
  18. de nada (you’re welcome)
  19. até logo (see you later)
  20. até amanhã (see you tomorrow)
  21. bom trabalho (good work)
  22. tudo de bom! (all the best!)

Questions (Perguntas)

  1. o quê (what)
  2. quem (who)
  3. onde (where)
  4. quando (when)
  5. porquê (why)
  6. porque (because)
  7. como (how)
  8. qual (which)
  9. quantos/as (how many – masculine/feminine)
  10. quanto (how much)
  11. de quem (whose)

These are over 500 of the most common Portuguese words, expressions, and phrases. Want more? Watch this video!

500 Common Words in 3 minutes!

Conclusion: Unlocking the Power of Portuguese Vocabulary

Each Portuguese word above is featured in the everyday vocabulary of most native speakers. These are the 1000 most common words in the Portuguese language. Some of them are common to both European and Brazilian Portuguese.

Now, you might skim this list quickly. But knowing each of the words and their meanings, remembering translations, and using that knowledge to communicate is a different story. It is, in fact, a true challenge.

Learning a new language seems daunting, and for many traditional methods are not promising. That is why we want to help you learn Portuguese the easy way. You will not memorize an endless alphabetical list or learn grammatical words in boring textbooks.

Instead, you will apply science-proven techniques to reach fluency faster, effortlessly acquiring hundreds more words in no time. So, are you in? Sign up for The Journey and start your free trial today!

For the last decade, we’ve been working on putting together the best possible European Portuguese course. After much research, feedback from our students, and several iterations, we think we’ve got it! 😉

At the base of it all is a sound conviction that languages are better learned instinctively, so the process needs to be engaging, varied, and enjoyable. Throughout, we used scientifically proven techniques to help you master pronunciation, phrase construction, oral understanding, grammar, and all the necessary bits to get you to fluency. And still, the whole thing is presented as an adventure. It’s a course like no other. Click the button below to see for yourself!

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