8 Ways to Say You’re Welcome in Portuguese from Portugal

Along with polite greetings like “Olá” or “Tudo bem?”, “Por favor” and “Obrigado/a” are probably some of the first words you learn in Portuguese. You might even be familiar with the answer “De nada.” But what does it mean? And did you know there are different ways to say “You are welcome” in Portuguese? 

We’ll explain 10 options that will help you impress the locals and extend your vocabulary. In European Portuguese, you can say: 

1. De nada
2. Nada
3. Sempre às ordens
4. Sem problemas
5. Ora essa
6. Não tem de quê
7. Disponha (sempre)
8. Obrigado/a eu/nós

And in Brazilian Portuguese, you might also say: 

1. Valeu 
2. Imagina

Curiously, the expressions used in Portugal are also valid for Brazilian Portuguese. You’ll just have to adapt the accent. On the other hand, none of the two Brazilian terms are standard practice for locals in Portugal. 

Start by discovering more about the most common Portuguese expression for “Thank you.” Its meaning and translation will help you understand this subject better. 

The Meaning of “Obrigado” And “Obrigada”

The Portuguese word “Obrigado/a”

translates to obliged. Thus, whenever someone thanks you, they acknowledge that they’ve become obliged to you for what you said or did. 

As a romance language, Portuguese is gendered. So if you’re male, you would say “Obrigado” and, if you’re female, “Obrigada.” Still, you don’t need to worry much about this as these forms are often mixed even by the locals. 

Now, let’s discover the answer possibilities and what they mean in English. Plus, see example situations of when and how you can use them!

You Are Welcome in Portuguese From Portugal 

De Nada 

“De nada” literally means “Of nothing.” It’s the most common way to say “You’re welcome” in Brazilian, European Portuguese, and, curiously, in Spanish. Nonetheless, you might hear native speakers in Brazil use “Por nada”

as a common variation of the phrase. Still, if you notice what we’ve considered above, this term perfectly complements “Obrigado/a.”

Translating literally from a spoken conversation in Portuguese, someone would say “Obliged.” and you would answer “Of nothing.” as in: “You are not obliged to me in any way.” Hence, 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.” 

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.” In Brazil, you might also hear “Não foi nada.”

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). 

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.”

In Brazil, people commonly use the phrase “Não há 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. 

You Are Welcome in Portuguese from Brazil

Throughout this post, you’ve come to know example sentences spoken in Brazil, such as “Por nada,” “Não foi nada,” and “Não há de quê.” However, now you’ll discover two words that belong only to the Brazilian language.

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 both Portugal and Brazil, 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 utilize to reply to “Obrigado/a” in Portugal and Brazil. 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 2023. You can also share this and other posts to help your friends or family learn Portuguese and say “You are welcome” like natives do.