The first week in a new country is a whirlwind of paperwork, errands and small decisions. You do not need fluent Portuguese to handle it, but a handful of well-chosen phrases will make everything smoother and will earn you a lot of goodwill. This guide groups them by the situations you are most likely to face.
Airport, taxis and apps
Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and 99 are widely used in Brazilian cities, and drivers often send you a message in Portuguese. These phrases cover most trips.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Boa tarde. Vou para este endereço. | Good afternoon. I'm going to this address. |
| Pode me deixar aqui, por favor? | Can you drop me here, please? |
| Quanto é a corrida? | How much is the ride? |
| Onde fica o ponto de ônibus? | Where is the bus stop? |
The CPF and your bank
You will hear the word CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) constantly. It is the individual taxpayer number, and it is requested for opening a bank account, signing a contract and many purchases. Even shop cashiers ask CPF na nota? ("CPF on the receipt?").
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Eu preciso do meu CPF. | I need my CPF. |
| Quero abrir uma conta. | I want to open an account. |
| Quais documentos eu preciso levar? | Which documents do I need to bring? |
| Vocês aceitam Pix? | Do you accept Pix? |
Pix is Brazil's instant payment system and you will see it everywhere, from large stores to street vendors.
Renting and the condomínio
Many Brazilians live in apartment buildings called condomínios, and the monthly taxa de condomínio (building fee) is a regular cost on top of the rent. At the entrance you will usually meet the porteiro (doorman) at the portaria (front desk), and the síndico is the resident who manages the building.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Quanto é o aluguel? | How much is the rent? |
| O condomínio está incluído? | Is the building fee included? |
| Preciso de fiador ou de caução? | Do I need a guarantor or a deposit? |
| A internet funciona bem aqui? | Does the internet work well here? |
Supermarket and padaria
The padaria (bakery) is a daily ritual in Brazil. You can have a coffee, a pão na chapa (toasted buttered bread) or a pão francês (the classic crusty roll) there. At the supermarket, the checkout staff will ask short, fast questions.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Um café com leite e um pão na chapa, por favor. | A coffee with milk and a toasted buttered roll, please. |
| Débito ou crédito? | Debit or credit? |
| Débito, por favor. | Debit, please. |
| Preciso de uma sacola. | I need a bag. |
Three survival phrases for any situation
Whatever the errand, three sentences will rescue you again and again. Use them without embarrassment, because Brazilians are generally glad to help a learner who makes an effort.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Pode falar mais devagar, por favor? | Can you speak more slowly, please? |
| Pode repetir? | Can you repeat that? |
| Como se diz ... em português? | How do you say ... in Portuguese? |
Pharmacy, doctor and emergencies
In a farmácia you ask for a remédio (medicine). For prescription drugs you need a receita. Keep these phrases handy.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Estou com dor de cabeça. | I have a headache. |
| Tenho alergia a penicilina. | I'm allergic to penicillin. |
| Preciso de um médico. | I need a doctor. |
| Vocês aceitam meu plano de saúde? | Do you accept my health insurance? |
For emergencies, it helps to know that 192 is the number for the ambulance service (SAMU), 190 for the police and 193 for the fire brigade. A hospital's emergency department is the pronto-socorro.
School and family life
If you are moving with children, a few school words are useful from day one: matrícula (enrolment), boletim (report card), lista de material (supply list) and reunião de pais (parents' meeting). Try this useful opening line when you arrive: Meu filho não fala português ainda. Vocês podem me ajudar? ("My son doesn't speak Portuguese yet. Can you help me?"). Families benefit from learning together, because the whole household will use the language in shops, at school and with neighbours.
Politeness and culture: a few essentials
Brazilians are warm and value a friendly start to any interaction. Greet people before asking for anything: Bom dia! or Boa tarde! go a long way.
A few notes will help you read the tone correctly:
- Tudo bem? is a greeting more than a real question. The natural reply is Tudo bem, e você? ("Fine, and you?").
- Com licença ("excuse me") when you pass in front of someone or enter a room, and obrigado if you are a man, obrigada if you are a woman.
- Greetings between friends often include a kiss on the cheek or a hug, and the custom varies by region, so follow the other person's lead.
- The jeitinho brasileiro is the Brazilian knack for finding a flexible, creative way through a difficult situation. Used with respect, it means patience, kindness and resourcefulness: asking politely, explaining your situation and being willing to find a solution together. It is not a licence to skip the rules.
A realistic first-week checklist
Most newcomers do the same things in roughly the same order: get a local SIM card or internet plan, obtain the CPF, set up a bank account or payment app, sort out housing paperwork and register children at school. Each step comes with forms, queues and a few unfamiliar words. Practising the matching phrases before you travel, ideally out loud with a teacher, turns those moments from stressful into manageable.
Moving for work?
If you are an HR or global mobility professional relocating employees, Soul Brazilian offers structured programs for assignees and their families. See Portuguese training for companies for how level assessments and progress reports work.
For individuals, the best preparation is to start before you land. Read how the lessons work, check how long it takes to learn Portuguese to set realistic goals, and see our comparison of Brazilian and European Portuguese if you are weighing your options.