This lesson includes a free PDF with a vocabulary list and exercises to help you practice starting conversations in Portuguese. Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!)
This is Virginia, your Brazilian teacher.
In this lesson, we’re going to practice how to start conversations in Portuguese in different situations, whether you’re talking to strangers on the street or people you already know.
How to start a conversation in Portuguese with someone you don’t know?
In Brazil, people are usually warm and friendly, and it’s very common to start a conversation with a stranger anywhere, like at the supermarket, the beach, the bakery, or any other place.
A very easy topic to start a conversation with strangers is to talk about the “tempo” (weather).
Here are some common questions you could ask to start a conversation about the weather in informal situations:
– Está quente hoje, né? (It’s hot today, isn’t it?)
– Que calor, né? (So hot, isn’t it?)
– Está frio hoje, né? (It’s cold today, isn’t it?)
– Está com uma cara de chuva, né? (Looks like it might rain, doesn’t it?)
– Hoje o tempo está tão agradável, né? (The weather is so pleasant today, isn’t it?)
This little question “né?” (isn’t it?) at the end is a shortened version of “não é?”. It’s a simple way to encourage the other person to respond to your comment.
Now think about how you would answer these questions. Here are some examples of responses:
– Nossa! Muito quente! (Totally! So hot!)
– Muito calor! Está insuportável! (So hot! It’s unbearable!)
– Nossa, está frio mesmo! (Yeah, it’s really cold!)
– Está com cara de chuva mesmo. Espero que não chova. Não tenho guarda-chuva! (It really does look like rain. I hope it doesn’t rain. I don’t have an umbrella!)
– Verdade! Hoje o dia está uma delícia mesmo. Espero que continue assim. (That’s true! Today is such a lovely day. I hope it stays this way.)
The word “mesmo” is often used to confirm and agree with what someone else said: “Está frio mesmo!” (It really is cold!)
And if you want to keep the conversation going, you can ask a question. For example:
– É sempre quente assim nesta época do ano? (Is it always this hot at this time of year?)
– Faz sempre tanto calor assim nesta época do ano? (Is it always this warm at this time of year?)
– Não é normal fazer tanto frio, né? (It’s not usually this cold, is it?)
Another very common topic to start or continue a conversation with strangers is to talk about the place or city where you are.
Here are some common questions you could ask:
– Você é daqui? (Are you from here?)
– Você é desta cidade? (Are you from this city?)
– Você é de São Paulo? (Are you from São Paulo?)
– Você é do Rio? (Are you from Rio?)
– Você vem sempre a esse mercado? (Do you often come to this market?)
– Você vem sempre a essa praia? (Do you often come to this beach?)
Now think about how you would answer these questions. Here are some examples of responses:
– Eu não sou daqui. Sou dos Estados Unidos. (I’m not from here. I’m from the United States.)
– Eu sou de Nova York. (I’m from New York.)
– É a primeira vez que venho a esse mercado. É muito bom. (It’s my first time at this market. It’s really nice.)
– É a primeira vez que venho a essa praia. É muito linda. (It’s my first time at this beach. It’s so beautiful.)
Conversations with strangers are usually short, but sometimes they can go on for quite a while.
Of course, after breaking the ice, you can introduce yourself and talk about any other topics.
If you need to leave, you can just say a quick goodbye. Here are some examples:
– Tchau! Bom dia! (Bye! Have a good day!)
– Tchau! Boa tarde! (Bye! Have a good afternoon!)
– Tchau! Boa noite! (Bye! Have a good evening!)
How to start a conversation with someone you’ve been introduced to?
Now let’s talk about how to start conversations with people you’ve been introduced to but still don’t know well, such as at a party with friends or with your spouse’s family.
You can also talk about the weather to break the ice, but you can move on to more interesting topics.
One of the most common topics is talking about work.
Here are some common questions you could ask:
– O que você faz? (What do you do?)
– Você trabalha em qual área mesmo? (What field do you work in again?)
– Você trabalha há quanto tempo nessa empresa? (How long have you been working at that company?)
– O que você mais gosta no seu trabalho? (What do you like most about your job?)
Now think about how you would answer these questions. Here are some examples of responses:
– Eu sou professora. (I’m a teacher.)
– Eu sou estudante. (I’m a student.)
– Eu sou aposentado. (I’m retired.)
– Eu trabalho na área de tecnologia. (I work in the tech field.)
– Eu trabalho na mesma empresa há 10 anos. (I’ve been working at the same company for 10 years.)
– Eu gosto muito do meu ambiente de trabalho e dos meus clientes. (I really like my work environment and my clients.)
Another very common topic is talking about hobbies.
Here are some common questions you could ask:
– O que você gosta de fazer no seu tempo livre? (What do you like to do in your free time?)
– Você tem algum hobby ou passatempo? (Do you have any hobbies?)
– Você gosta de esportes? (Do you like sports?)
– Você gosta de cozinhar? (Do you enjoy cooking?)
– Você gosta de música? (Do you like music?)
– Você gosta de séries ou filmes? (Do you enjoy series or movies?)
Now think about how you would answer these questions. Here are some examples of responses:
– Eu gosto de assistir a filmes nos fins de semana. (I like watching movies on weekends.)
– Eu gosto de caminhar no parque. É bom para relaxar. (I enjoy walking in the park. It’s great for relaxing.)
– Adoro cozinhar novas receitas quando tenho tempo livre. (I love cooking new recipes when I have free time.)
– Eu amo música brasileira! (I love Brazilian music!)
Of course, the topics and responses will vary greatly from person to person. That’s why it’s important to prepare yourself to talk about topics that are relevant to you.
How to prepare for conversations?
Now, I’m going to teach you an exercise that will help you prepare to talk about any topic.
- The first step is to write short paragraphs about topics that matter to you, such as your job, your favorite hobbies, trips you’ve taken or would like to take, and any other subjects of interest. Select at least three topics and write a short paragraph about each one.
- The second step is to read your text out loud a few times.
- And the third step is to try talking about the topic without reading. Even if you make mistakes, that’s okay. The important thing is to practice.
This exercise is very simple but effective! Practicing talking about common topics will help you remember vocabulary more easily and feel more confident when you have the opportunity to talk to a Brazilian.
Of course, you should adapt the text to your level. If you’re just starting to learn Portuguese, write short and simple paragraphs. If you’ve been studying for a while, you can write longer and more complex paragraphs.
If you need help, you can use an online translator, like Google Translate or ChatGPT, but it’s important that you study the text and understand the meaning of each word being used.
And one very important tip: don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Most Brazilians won’t mind your mistakes.
Brazilians are usually very happy when a visitor tries to communicate in our language. Learning to speak Brazilian Portuguese is the greatest compliment you can give to a Brazilian.
Travel Vocabulary Crash Course
This lesson covers only the most important phrases. If you want to learn more survival phrases, I recommend my course Travel Vocabulary Crash Course, which is perfect for anyone planning a trip to Brazil.
In this course, you will learn how to communicate in airports, hotels, and restaurants, how to buy things in Portuguese, and much more!
Free PDF!
This lesson includes a free PDF with a list of 70 Brazilian expressions and idioms. Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
Online Brazilian Portuguese Courses
If you enjoyed this lesson, you’ll love our courses! At Speaking Brazilian School, we offer digital courses, small group classes, and private lessons. Click here to learn more about our Brazilian Portuguese online classes.
Até a próxima!
Virginia & Speaking Brazilian Team
