Learning a new language can be both exciting and challenging. If you’ve decided to learn Portuguese, you’ve made a wonderful choice. Portuguese is the official language of several countries, including Portugal, Brazil, and parts of Africa. As with any language, starting with the basics is crucial. In this article, we will explore some essential Portuguese words that you need to know at the A1 level. These words will help you build a solid foundation, making it easier to progress to more advanced levels.

Basic Greetings and Polite Expressions

One of the first things you need to learn in any language is how to greet people and use polite expressions. Here are some common Portuguese greetings and expressions:

1. **Olá** – Hello
2. **Bom dia** – Good morning
3. **Boa tarde** – Good afternoon
4. **Boa noite** – Good night
5. **Adeus** – Goodbye
6. **Por favor** – Please
7. **Obrigado/Obrigada** – Thank you (male/female)
8. **De nada** – You’re welcome
9. **Desculpe** – Excuse me/I’m sorry
10. **Sim** – Yes
11. **Não** – No

These words and phrases will help you navigate basic interactions and make a good impression on Portuguese speakers.

Numbers and Counting

Being able to count and understand numbers is essential for daily activities such as shopping, telling time, and addressing. Here are the numbers from 1 to 20 in Portuguese:

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. **Dezesseis** – Sixteen
17. **Dezessete** – Seventeen
18. **Dezoito** – Eighteen
19. **Dezenove** – Nineteen
20. **Vinte** – Twenty

Understanding these numbers will enable you to perform basic arithmetic and manage everyday tasks more effectively.

Days of the Week and Months of the Year

Knowing the days of the week and the months of the year is crucial for scheduling and planning. Here are the days of the week:

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

And the months of the year:

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

These terms will help you talk about dates, plan events, and understand schedules.

Common Phrases for Everyday Situations

In addition to greetings and numbers, there are many other phrases that are helpful in everyday situations. Here are some common phrases that you might find useful:

1. **Como vai?** – How are you?
2. **Tudo bem?** – Is everything okay?
3. **Qual é o seu nome?** – What is your name?
4. **Meu nome é…** – My name is…
5. **De onde você é?** – Where are you from?
6. **Eu sou de…** – I am from…
7. **Quantos anos você tem?** – How old are you?
8. **Eu tenho… anos** – I am… years old
9. **Você fala inglês?** – Do you speak English?
10. **Eu não entendo** – I don’t understand

These phrases will help you engage in basic conversations and express your needs.

Basic Vocabulary for Common Places

Knowing the names of common places is essential for navigation and understanding directions. Here are some words for common places:

1. **Casa** – House
2. **Escola** – School
3. **Trabalho** – Work
4. **Loja** – Store
5. **Supermercado** – Supermarket
6. **Restaurante** – Restaurant
7. **Hospital** – Hospital
8. **Banco** – Bank
9. **Igreja** – Church
10. **Parque** – Park

These words will help you understand and give directions, as well as talk about where you are going.

Basic Adjectives and Descriptions

Being able to describe things is an important part of communication. Here are some basic adjectives and descriptive words:

1. **Grande** – Big
2. **Pequeno** – Small
3. **Bom/Boa** – Good (male/female)
4. **Ruim** – Bad
5. **Bonito/Bonita** – Beautiful (male/female)
6. **Feio/Feia** – Ugly (male/female)
7. **Feliz** – Happy
8. **Triste** – Sad
9. **Quente** – Hot
10. **Frio** – Cold

These adjectives will help you describe people, places, and things more effectively.

Common Verbs and Actions

Verbs are the backbone of any sentence. Here are some common verbs that you will use frequently:

1. **Ser** – To be (permanent)
2. **Estar** – To be (temporary)
3. **Ter** – To have
4. **Ir** – To go
5. **Fazer** – To do/make
6. **Ver** – To see
7. **Ouvir** – To hear
8. **Falar** – To speak
9. **Comer** – To eat
10. **Beber** – To drink

Understanding these verbs will help you form basic sentences and express actions.

Basic Questions and Interrogatives

Asking questions is a fundamental part of communication. Here are some basic question words and common questions:

1. **Quem?** – Who?
2. **O quê?** – What?
3. **Quando?** – When?
4. **Onde?** – Where?
5. **Por quê?** – Why?
6. **Como?** – How?
7. **Quanto?** – How much?
8. **Qual?** – Which?

And some common questions:

1. **O que é isso?** – What is this?
2. **Onde está o banheiro?** – Where is the bathroom?
3. **Quanto custa?** – How much does it cost?
4. **Por que você está aqui?** – Why are you here?

These questions will help you gather information and understand more about your surroundings.

Basic Prepositions

Prepositions are small but powerful words that help indicate relationships between different elements in a sentence. Here are some common prepositions in Portuguese:

1. **Em** – In
2. **De** – Of/From
3. **Para** – For/To
4. **Com** – With
5. **Sem** – Without
6. **Sobre** – About/On
7. **Entre** – Between
8. **Até** – Until
9. **Depois de** – After
10. **Antes de** – Before

Knowing these prepositions will help you form more complex sentences and express relationships between different elements.

Basic Pronouns

Pronouns are essential for referring to people and things without repeating their names. Here are some basic pronouns in Portuguese:

1. **Eu** – I
2. **Você** – You (singular)
3. **Ele/Ela** – He/She
4. **Nós** – We
5. **Vocês** – You (plural)
6. **Eles/Elas** – They (male/female)

Understanding these pronouns will help you construct sentences and refer to people and things correctly.

Food and Drink Vocabulary

Knowing the names of different foods and drinks is essential for dining out, grocery shopping, and discussing meals. Here are some common food and drink words:

1. **Água** – Water
2. **Pão** – Bread
3. **Leite** – Milk
4. **Café** – Coffee
5. **Chá** – Tea
6. **Carne** – Meat
7. **Peixe** – Fish
8. **Fruta** – Fruit
9. **Vegetais** – Vegetables
10. **Queijo** – Cheese

These words will help you navigate menus, shop for groceries, and discuss your dietary preferences.

Common Household Items

Knowing the names of common household items is useful for everyday life and conversations about your living environment. Here are some common household items:

1. **Cama** – Bed
2. **Mesa** – Table
3. **Cadeira** – Chair
4. **Janela** – Window
5. **Porta** – Door
6. **Geladeira** – Refrigerator
7. **Fogão** – Stove
8. **Televisão** – Television
9. **Computador** – Computer
10. **Lâmpada** – Lamp

These words will help you talk about your home and describe your living space.

Common Clothing Items

Knowing the names of different clothing items is essential for shopping, describing outfits, and discussing fashion. Here are some common clothing items:

1. **Camiseta** – T-shirt
2. **Calça** – Pants
3. **Saia** – Skirt
4. **Vestido** – Dress
5. **Sapatos** – Shoes
6. **Chapéu** – Hat
7. **Casaco** – Coat
8. **Meias** – Socks
9. **Roupa íntima** – Underwear
10. **Óculos** – Glasses

These words will help you navigate clothing stores, describe what you are wearing, and discuss fashion preferences.

Basic Weather Vocabulary

Discussing the weather is a common topic of conversation. Here are some basic weather-related words:

1. **Sol** – Sun
2. **Chuva** – Rain
3. **Nuvem** – Cloud
4. **Vento** – Wind
5. **Neve** – Snow
6. **Frio** – Cold
7. **Quente** – Hot
8. **Tempo** – Weather
9. **Estação** – Season
10. **Céu** – Sky

These words will help you understand weather forecasts and discuss the weather with others.

Basic Emotions and Feelings

Being able to express your emotions and feelings is crucial for communication. Here are some basic words for emotions and feelings:

1. **Feliz** – Happy
2. **Triste** – Sad
3. **Bravo/Brava** – Angry (male/female)
4. **Cansado/Cansada** – Tired (male/female)
5. **Animado/Animada** – Excited (male/female)
6. **Preocupado/Preocupada** – Worried (male/female)
7. **Assustado/Assustada** – Scared (male/female)
8. **Confuso/Confusa** – Confused (male/female)
9. **Entediado/Entediada** – Bored (male/female)
10. **Doente** – Sick

These words will help you express how you are feeling and understand the emotions of others.

Conclusion

Learning these basic Portuguese words at the A1 level will give you a solid foundation to build on as you continue your language learning journey. Remember to practice regularly, use these words in context, and immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Whether you are planning to travel to a Portuguese-speaking country, connect with Portuguese-speaking friends, or simply expand your linguistic horizons, these words will serve as essential building blocks for your success. Boa sorte (Good luck) with your Portuguese studies!