Greetings
Tudo bem?
TOO-doo BAYNG
All good? — the standard greeting. Reply 'tudo bem' or just 'tudo'.
Oi / Olá
oy / o-LAH
Hi (informal) / hello (neutral). 'Oi' is what you'll actually hear.
Social
Obrigado / Obrigada
o-bri-GAH-doo / -dah
Thank you — the ending changes with YOUR gender, not the listener's.
Pois não
poys NOWNG
Literally 'because no', used to mean 'certainly, how can I help?'. Deeply confusing at first.
Paulistano
pow-lees-TAH-noo
Someone from the city of São Paulo. 'Paulista' means from the state.
Daily life
Cadê?
ka-DEH
Where is…? The universal informal way to ask.
CPF
seh-peh-EFF-ee
Your Brazilian tax ID. Requested for almost every purchase and utterly essential.
Bilhete Único
bil-YET-chee OO-nee-koo
São Paulo's transport card for metro, trains and buses.
Pix
peeks
Brazil's instant payment system. Free, immediate, and used for everything from rent to street food.
Food
Padaria
pah-dah-REE-ah
Bakery — but also the neighbourhood café, lunch counter and social hub. Central to daily life.
Pinga / cachaça
PEEN-gah / kah-SHAH-sah
Sugarcane spirit, the base of a caipirinha.
Emergency
190 / 192 / 193
Police / ambulance / fire
Brazil's emergency numbers.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.