Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!)
In this lesson, you will learn how to communicate with Brazilians in a more formal way, using the terms “senhor” (sir), “senhora” (ma’am), “seu” (Mr.), “dona” (Mrs.) “moço” (young man), and “moça” (Miss).
I’ve prepared a PDF with exercises so you can practice what you’ve learned in this lesson.
Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
“Senhor” and “Senhora”
We use the terms “senhor” and “senhora” in the place of “você” when addressing older people or people in positions of authority.
These terms are used often by professionals who provide services, such as in hotels and restaurants, for example. If you go to a restaurant or hotel in Brazil, you will notice that the employees will use the terms “senhor” or “senhora” when addressing you.
Let’s look at some examples in sentences:
– Bom dia! O senhor precisa de alguma coisa? (Good morning! Do you need anything, sir?)
– Como posso ajudar a senhora? (How can I help you, ma’am?)
– O senhor gostaria de ajuda com as malas? (Sir, would you like help with your luggage?)
– A senhora gostaria de beber alguma coisa? (Ma’am, would you like something to drink?)
And when should you use the terms ” senhor” and “senhora”?
It depends on the level of formality of the situation and the age of the people to whom you are speaking.
Normally, we don’t use the terms “senhor” or “senhora” when we address people that have a similar age to ours, unless it’s a highly formal situation.
In Brazil, people act in an informal way in almost all situations, even with strangers on the street, but there are some situations that actually are more formal.
For example, I recommend that you use these formal terms in job interviews or when you are communicating with customers that you don’t know well, or with government officials.
Regarding professional environments, it depends a lot on each company. Some companies are more formal, others more informal. In general, you don’t need to use the terms “senhor” or “senhora” with coworkers, but it might be good if you’re more formal with your boss or the owner of the company.
You can also use the terms “senhor” and “senhora” to address strangers that are older than you, but it’s not mandatory. You can always use the term “você” with people of all ages, whether you know them or not.
I recommend that you use the term “você,” unless you are in a very formal situation or addressing a person much older than you. The term “você” can be used in almost every situation throughout Brazil.
“Seu” and “Dona”
We use the terms “seu” and “dona” when we address older people that we have met and whose name we already know. It’s a way to demonstrate respect and kindness.
These terms are used before a person’s first name. For example:
– Bom dia, seu João! Como o senhor está? (Good morning, Mr. John! How are you, sir?)
– Boa tarde, dona Maria! Como a senhora está? (Good afternoon, Mrs. Maria! How are you, ma’am?)
Note that I used the terms “seu” and “senhor,” and “dona” and “senhora” in the same situation.
You can use these terms with your neighbors, friends’ parents and grandparents, with the doorman that you see every day, or with the bakery attendant that you’ve known a long time.
They are terms that show respect, but also indicate a little closeness because we are talking with a person that we know.
Note that the terms “seu” and “dona” can have other meanings in different contexts, but we’re not going to talk about that today.
“Moço” and “Moça”
Different from the terms “senhor” or “senhora,” we use the terms “moço” and “moça” to address young adults. These terms are often used when we want to get a stranger’s attention.
For example, if you want to get information from a stranger on the street, you can say:
– Com licença, moço! Você sabe onde fica a estação de metrô mais próxima? (Excuse me, young man! Do you know where the closest subway station is?)
In restaurants or commercial establishments, you can also address servers as “moço” or “moça.” For example:
– Moça, você pode trazer mais água, por favor? (Miss, could you bring us some water please?)
– Moço, você pode me ajudar a encontrar esse produto? (Young man, could you help me find this product?)
Notice that I used the terms “moça/moço” and “você” in the same situation because these aren’t highly formal situations. I am being polite, but without much formality.
It’s important to note that everything I mentioned in this video can vary from one region to another. After all, concepts of formality and politeness are cultural, and Brazil is very culturally diverse. So, the best way to know the level of formality you should use in a determined situation is by observing how people around you are using the language.
To really grasp what we studied today, you need to keep practicing. That’s why I’ve prepared a PDF with extra exercises. Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
Até a próxima!
Virginia & Speaking Brazilian Team
