How to Say You’re Welcome in Portuguese from Portugal

“De nada” is the most common way to say “You’re welcome” in Portuguese. Polite terms like “Olá”, “Tudo bem?”, “Por favor” and “Obrigado/a” are probably some of the first words you learn in Portuguese. But what does De nada mean? And did you know there are more ways to say “You are welcome” in Portuguese? 

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In European Portuguese, the most common expression to say thank you is “De nada”

. There are also some alternatives to it:

Portuguese	English Translation	Formality Level
Nada	It’s nothing	Informal
Sempre às ordens	At your service	Used to be formal, less used today
Sem problemas	No problem	Informal
Ora essa	Not at all	Friendly
Não tem de quê	Don’t mention it	Friendly
Disponha	At your disposal	Formal
Obrigado/a eu/nós	Thank you too	Formal

The Most Common Way: De Nada 

“De nada” literally means “Of nothing.” It’s the most common way to say “You’re welcome” in European Portuguese, and, curiously, in Spanish. You can apply it as the English equivalent: “You’re welcome.” Whenever someone expresses gratitude for something you have done or said, you might say: “De nada.” This term perfectly complements “Obrigado/a.”

Learn about the meaning of Obrigado – Thank you in Portuguese here: The Meaning of Obrigado – Saying Thank You in Portuguese.

Other Expressions to Say Thank You In Portuguese

After De nada, look into alternative expressions you can use in casual and formal contexts.

Informal Expressions (Nada, Sempre às ordens, Sem problemas)

Nada

“Nada” is a short form of “De nada.” Portuguese natives usually prolong the first syllable of the word. The word “Nada” is “Nothing” in English, so it’s like you’re saying: “Oh, it’s nothing.”

Sempre às Ordens 

You can translate “Sempre às ordens” literally to “Always at your command” or “At your service.” Through it, Portuguese speakers do more than acknowledge the thanks extended by the person they’re speaking with. They also let them know they can provide further help or assistance if needed. 

Sem Problemas

“Sem problemas” or “Sem problema”

is an informal expression with the literal translation: “No problem.” In this case, you’re letting the other person know it was no bother for you to say or do whatever they’re thanking you for. 

You can also use other European Portuguese terms and words that convey the same tone and meaning. Try to say “You are welcome” with: “Tranquilo”

(Peaceful), “Sem stress” (No stress), or “Na boa” (It’s cool). 

Formal Alternatives (Ora essa, Não tem de quê, Disponha, Obrigado eu)

Ora Essa

“Ora essa!” is a popular expression to say “You are welcome” among Portuguese people. Its meaning is defined by the context and the intonation applied when pronouncing it. When answering “Obrigado” in Portuguese, this saying corresponds to the English equivalent “Not at all!” 

Não tem de quê

“Não tem de quê” is a slightly more formal way to say “De nada” in Portuguese from Portugal. To make it a little more informal, you can tweak the verb and say: “Não tens de quê.”

. Alternatively, you can say: “Não seja por isso.”

This phrase has no literal translation. But it conveys the same purpose as expressions like: “Think nothing of it!” and “You have nothing to thank me for!” However, you might realize its pronunciation is a bit more challenging due to the nasal sound of the word “não.”

Disponha (sempre)

In this case, “Disponha” is a formal way to say: “You’re welcome” in Portuguese. You can translate it into the English sentence: “At your disposal.” It conveys the sense that you are glad to be of assistance. Adding “sempre” at the end shifts the phrase to: “Always at your disposal.”

Obrigado/a eu/nós

What if you want to thank the person back? In that case, you can say: “Obrigado eu!” (Thank you!). Like in English, you should emphasize the last word (“eu”) to show that you’re the thankful one. 

If you’re speaking only of yourself, you’ll say: “Obrigado/a eu,” as in: “I’m the one who is thankful.” However, if you answer for more people, you should use: “Obrigado/a nós.” If you’re feeling brave, you can also say: “Eu é que agradeço”

or “Nós é que agradecemos!” which bear the same meaning. 

Real-life Usage Examples

Here are three common situations in which you might hear or use these expressions to say “You’re welcome” in Portuguese.

At The Café

Customer: Um café, por favor. (One coffee, please)
Barista: Aqui está. (Here you go)
Customer: Obrigado. (Thank you)
Barista: De nada. (You’re welcome)

Asking For Help on The Street

Tourist: Desculpe, onde fica a estação? (Excuse me, where is the station?)
Local: É ali à frente, à direita. (It’s just ahead, on the right)
Tourist: Obrigado pela ajuda! (Thank you for your help!)
Local: De nada. (You’re welcome)

In a Slightly More Polite/Formal Context

Client: Muito obrigado pelo seu tempo. (Thank you very much for your time)
Worker: Não tem de quê. Foi um prazer ajudar. (Don’t mention it. It was a pleasure to help)

When NOT to Use De nada

De nada is the most common expression to say “You’re welcome in Portuguese.” But there are some situations in which it is not the best one to use. Discover when to resort to the alternatives mentioned above.

When You Want to Sound More Formal or Professional

In more formal situations (especially in Portugal), people often prefer:

• Não tem de quê (Don’t mention it)
• Foi um prazer (It was a pleasure)

Use these expressions after business interactions, in customer service, and in professional emails or meetings.

When Responding to Very Strong Gratitude

If someone thanks you in a very emphatic way (muito obrigado, agradeço imenso, etc.), you can answer using one of these three more natural alternatives:

• Não tem de quê (Don’t mention it)
• Ora essa (Not at all)
• Foi um prazer ajudar (It was a pleasure to help)

When You Want to Sound Warmer or More Expressive

In friendly or warm contexts, Portuguese speakers often prefer expressions that feel more personal, like:

• Sempre às ordens (Always at your service)
• Disponha (At your service)

When You Are Replying in Brazilian Portuguese

In Brazil, native speakers often use expressions such as “Por nada,”

“Não foi nada,” and “Não há de quê.”

In Brazilian Portuguese, De nada is still correct, but people often use these two alternatives:

Valeu!

“Valeu” is an informal way for Brazilians to say thank you. It is short for “Valeu a pena” (It was worth it). However, you can also use it to say goodbye, replace okay, or say “You are welcome” in Portuguese from Brazil. It’s most common among young people and rarely used in its written form. 

Imagina

“Imagina” is a word you can apply to almost any setting to reply to “Thank you.” It is neither very formal nor too informal and is a way to discard the debt associated with “Obrigado/a.” It literally means “Imagine,” as in “Imagine that! You’re not indebted to me at all!”

A Quick Note on “Welcome to” in Portuguese

In English, you might use the word “Welcome” if you are answering someone who thanked you. But you can also say it when you are actually welcoming someone into a space or setting. In Portuguese, that does not apply. 

Instead, in Portugal, you’ll hear “Bem-vindo.”

Add the verb “ser” (To be) conjugated in its Present Subjunctive form to make up the expression “Seja bem-vindo“ for a man or “Seja bem-vinda” for a woman.

In this case, the gender of the word adapts to that of the person you’re talking to. You’ll also say “Sejam bem-vindos”

to a group with mixed genders or men only and “Sejam bem-vindas” for parties of women. 

Conclusion: Say You’re Welcome in Portuguese Like a True Native 

In this article, we’ve explored the polite expressions you can apply to say “You’re welcome“ in European Portuguese. If you want to learn their proper pronunciation, check out our video: 10 ways to say “You’re Welcome in European Portuguese.”

What was your favorite way to say “You’re welcome” in Portuguese? And which one will you use next? Let us know in the comments!

At Portuguese With Carla, we offer an interactive course to help you speak Portuguese from Portugal. We’ll guide you through engaging Portuguese lessons as you explore our beautiful language and love every minute of it. Find out more and sign up for The Journey!

Besides, if you’re visiting Portugal soon, don’t miss out on The 17 Best European Portuguese Phrases to Know if You’re Visiting Portugal in 2026. You can also share this and other posts to help your friends or family learn Portuguese and say “You are welcome” like natives do. 

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