SpeekuHow to say

How to say thank you in European Portuguese

What people say, and how it sounds.

The answer
said by a manobrigado/ɔbɾiˈɡadu/
said by a womanobrigada/ɔbɾiˈɡadɐ/
thank you very muchmuito obrigado/ˈmũj̃tu ɔbɾiˈɡadu/

The short answer

Obrigado if you are a man, obrigada if you are a woman. The word means obliged, so it agrees with the person speaking, not with the person being thanked.

Put muito in front for thank you very much, and answer with de nada.

o-bri-GA-du

The last vowel nearly disappears: the word sounds closer to obrigad than to obrigado with a full final o. The r is a single tap of the tongue, like the Spanish one, and the stress sits on ga.

Hear it in a sentence

Every line is one the course teaches, with its European Portuguese audio.

obrigado/ɔbɾiˈɡadu/

thank you, thanks (said by a man)

Obrigado, és um tesouro!

Thanks, you're a darling! (informal)

Obrigado por me ajudares!

Thanks for helping me! (informal)

Obrigado por terem vindo!

Thank you for coming! (pl.)

obrigada/ɔbɾiˈɡadɐ/

thank you, thanks (said by a woman)

Só um pouco, obrigada.

Just a little, thanks.

Muito obrigada pela ajuda.

Thank you very much for your help. (fem.)

Muito obrigada, Sr. Pedro!

Thank you very much, Mr. Pedro!

muito obrigado/ˈmũj̃tu ɔbɾiˈɡadu/

thanks a lot

Muito obrigado, Ana!

Thanks a lot, Ana!

People also ask

How do I reply to obrigado?

De nada, literally of nothing. Ora essa is the warmer, more Portuguese way to wave thanks away.

Do women really say obrigada?

Yes. It is one of the first things a Portuguese speaker notices about a learner, and an easy one to get right.

Is obrigadinho rude?

No. It is a warm, informal thanks a bunch between people who know each other.

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