Learning basic Portuguese sayings and greetings shouldn't be that hard.
Surely you already know how to say 'hello' or 'good afternoon.'
And what about saying 'thank you’ in Portuguese?
You probably know that, too.
But do you know several different ways to say thank you in Portuguese?
Now, there's a catch.
That's not something anyone can tell he knows.
However, you could be among those who can say, 'yes, I know how to say thank you in Portuguese in different ways and with different phrases.'
Just keep reading and you will find out.
Let's get started.
How to Practice Saying Thank You in Portuguese?
Before we start with some expressions, let's begin by taking a quick look at some tips that can help us practice saying thank you in Portuguese.
- Meet people with the same interests in Portuguese. Meetup and Couchsurfing are some of them. These sites have different groups for different languages where people chit-chat themselves and help each other.
- Have fun solving Quizlet. For practicing 'thank you' phrases in this case, you can practice with Quizlet, where you put the phrase in different contexts.
Different Ways to Say Thank You in Portuguese
And now to the point!
Here are different ways to say thank you in Portuguese, both formal and informal.
After this article, we are sure that you will impress native speakers.
Obrigado(a) - Thank you
The most common way to say 'thank you' in Portuguese is 'obrigado' or 'obrigada'
The first version is used for males and the second with feminine nouns.
Muito Obrigado - Thank you very much
When you want to emphasize how thankful you are, you can use 'muito obrigado,' which means 'thank you very much.'
Lhe agradeço - I thank you
When formality is desirable and considered, too, 'lhe agradeço' or 'thank you' are the most common formal phrases people use.
Brigadão/Brigadinho
On the other hand, if you want to use casual phrases, 'brigadão' or 'brigadinho' is one of the favorites.
We usually use it to emphasize how thankful you are. Therefore, we can translate it as 'thank you very much.'
OBG - Tnx
'OBG' is commonly used among the younger population. It is an abbreviation of 'obrigado.'
The phrase is widely used in mobile apps and social media networks.
Valeu
Here's another favorite and common colloquial way to say 'thank you.'
The phrase comes from 'valeu a pena' which means 'it was worth the effort.'
And as you suppose, it is one of the favorite phrases among the younger population.
Agradecido(a)
Meaning 'thank you,' this phrase isn't that formal, nor too informal. Thanks to that, it can be used in many different contexts and situations.
Grado(a)
Like the previous expression, 'grado' is also somewhere between formal and casual ways to say 'thank you.'
How to Use ‘Thank You’ in Portuguese
It is always great to know more similar words and phrases to show your knowledge and impress others, but it is equally important to know how to use them grammatically correctly.
As for the ‘thank you’ in Portuguese, there are specific grammar rules you have to follow.
The Importance of Gender
Since Portuguese belongs to the Romance language family, and it is one of the descendants of Vulgar Latin, it means that the language has genders.
It, precisely, has two genders, masculine and feminine.
Furthermore, it means that you have to use specific gender depending on the noun or the overall meaning of the phrase you’re about to say. For example, if a noun in the sentence is feminine, other parts of it, such as adjectives, have to be feminine.
As for the ‘thank you’ phrase in Portuguese, ‘obrigado’ and ‘obrigada,’ there is a difference of which one you will use. If the speaker is male, you will use the masculine form or ‘obrigado.’
For females, you can use ‘obrigada.’
Plural Form of ‘Thank You’
If you thought that masculine and feminine forms are all you’re going to need to remember, you’re wrong.
Besides that, there is also a plural form for thank you in Portuguese, which is ‘obrigados’ and ‘obrigadas.’
‘Obrigados’ is used when there is at least one man in a group of people.
‘Obrigadas’ is reserved for women when there are only women in a group.
‘Thank You’ in Portuguese And Prepositions
After ‘obrigado’ very often, a preposition follows the phrase.
Some of the most common prepositions that go with ‘obrigado’ are the following:
- Obrigado por
When the verb ‘obrigrado’ is followed by the preposition ‘por,’ its main meaning is ‘to thank for.’
- Obrigado pelo/ pela
The preposition ‘pelo’ is used for male and ‘pela’ for female situations.
When used with ‘obrigado’ it can be translated as the previous one, ‘to thank for something.’
Final Thoughts
The great thing about these expressions is that, after this post, you are well-prepared both for formal and casual situations, even with some slang phrases, so that you can even show the native Portuguese young population your impressive knowledge.
If you’re Looking to advance your Portuguese vocabulary, here are some excellent online resources to consider: Babbel provides enjoyable, straightforward lessons ideal for weaving into your daily activities. If you're aiming for comprehensive knowledge, Udemy’s thorough Portuguese course provides detailed insights from the basics to advanced topics. For learners who value direct communication, Preply offers opportunities to engage with native speaking tutors, significantly improving your speaking skills. Right now you can get 50% off your first lesson at Preply.com, through this link.
