Olá! Prazer em conhecer você
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Recognize the Portuguese alphabet and begin producing its vowel sounds, including the written accent marks that Portuguese requires from the very first word.
- Greet someone and say goodbye using level-appropriate expressions in Brazilian Portuguese.
- Introduce yourself using eu sou..., and ask someone else's name.
- Ask and answer a small set of controlled questions using only formulaic language.
- Use basic classroom survival language, including simple requests for repetition and clarification.
- Count from 0 to 10 in Portuguese.
Communication Scenario
Marcos is starting a beginner Portuguese class on a Tuesday evening. As students arrive, the teacher greets each one at the door, and the students greet each other before the lesson begins. Nobody in the room has met before, so the entire first evening is built from the same small handful of expressions, said again and again, until they start to feel natural. This chapter follows that first evening, greeting by greeting, name by name.
- You will meet the same expressions in several short exchanges, so that repetition, not memorization, builds your first working Portuguese.
- Every new word introduced in this chapter keeps its correct diacritics, since Portuguese spelling and pronunciation depend on them from the very beginning.
Core Vocabulary
The words below are your first productive Portuguese vocabulary. All examples reflect contemporary Brazilian Portuguese, the production model used throughout this course.
| Português | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| oi | hi | informal |
| olá | hello | neutral, works in most situations |
| bom dia | good morning | used until roughly midday |
| boa tarde | good afternoon | |
| boa noite | good evening / good night | used for greeting and for leave-taking at night |
| tchau | bye | informal, very common |
| até logo | see you soon | |
| obrigado | thank you (said by a man) | agrees with the speaker's gender |
| obrigada | thank you (said by a woman) | agrees with the speaker's gender |
| por favor | please | |
| com licença | excuse me | used to pass by or interrupt politely |
| desculpa | sorry, excuse me | informal register |
| sim | yes | |
| não | no | diacritic (til) is required and changes the sound |
| Português | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| eu sou... | I am... | formulaic use of ser for identity |
| qual é o seu nome? | what is your name? | neutral, works with strangers and classmates |
| como você se chama? | what is your name? | alternative common formula |
| prazer em conhecer você | nice to meet you | formulaic |
| prazer | nice to meet you (short form) | very common in casual speech |
| Português | English |
|---|---|
| 0 zero | zero |
| 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 |
| como? | what did you say? (asking for repetition) |
| pode repetir, por favor? | can you repeat, please? |
All vocabulary in this table is productive, meaning you are expected to recognize it, say it, and write it — with correct diacritics — by the end of the chapter.
Pronunciation: The Portuguese Alphabet and Diacritics
Portuguese uses the Latin alphabet, with a small set of extra marks called diacritics: the acute accent (á, é, í, ó, ú), the circumflex (â, ê, ô), the tilde (ã, õ), the grave accent (à), and the cedilla (ç). These marks are not decoration. They change pronunciation, and sometimes they change meaning entirely.
Say each vocabulary word above aloud, paying attention to any accent mark. The tilde in não signals a nasal sound: the vowel is pushed partly through the nose, something English vowels do not normally do. You do not need to master nasal vowels fully yet — that system develops gradually starting in Chapter 3 — but you should begin noticing that não sounds different from an English word like "now."
- Portuguese vowels are generally shorter and more precise than English vowels; avoid gliding an English-style diphthong onto them.
- Never drop an accent mark when writing, even informally in this course. Está and esta are different words, and only the accent tells them apart.
- The letter h is silent at the start of a word; you will see this in words like hoje in a later chapter.
Language Focus: Introducing Yourself
Purpose: greet someone, introduce yourself with ser, ask a name, and answer simple yes/no questions.
1.1 The formula Eu sou...
The expression eu sou... uses the verb ser, one of two Portuguese verbs that can translate as "to be." At this stage, treat eu sou as a fixed formula for stating who you are. You do not yet need to conjugate ser for other subjects or contrast it with estar; that system develops gradually starting in Chapter 2.
To ask someone's name, Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses qual é o seu nome? or como você se chama?. Both are treated as fixed units for now.
- Eu sou Marcos. I am Marcos.
- Qual é o seu nome? — Eu sou Camila. What is your name? — I am Camila.
1.2 Yes/no questions with rising intonation
Brazilian Portuguese usually forms a yes/no question not by changing word order, but by using rising intonation on a statement. Você é estudante? and Você é estudante. can use the exact same words; only the rising pitch at the end signals a question in speech, and a question mark signals it in writing.
- Tudo bem? Everything okay? (a very common informal greeting question)
- Tudo bem! Everything's fine! (a common reply)
1.3 Classroom survival language
You will meet ser again in Chapter 2, where it expands to talking about origin, nationality, and language.
Model Dialogue: Prazer em conhecer você
Context: The teacher greets a new student at the door on the first evening of class.
Marcos sits down next to another student, who turns to greet him informally.
Notice that Marcos greets the teacher with boa noite and greets Camila with oi, choosing his greeting according to context and relationship, not a single fixed rule.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly, paying attention to the diacritics.
- Listen to (or read aloud) the script above, then answer, in Portuguese, with your own name using the correct formula.
- Listen for the greeting word at the start of the script. Which time of day does it suggest?
- Listen for the nasal sound in não if your partner adds it to the exchange. How is it different from an English vowel?
Speaking Practice
Prática controlada — Controlled practice: greet and respond
Practice saying each greeting and courtesy word from the vocabulary table aloud, three times each, paying attention to diacritics and vowel sounds.
Tarefa comunicativa — Communicative task: meet a classmate
With a partner, greet each other informally, ask and answer each other's names, and say goodbye. Then repeat the exchange as if meeting a teacher, using a more neutral greeting such as boa tarde or boa noite.
Prática individual — Solo alternative
Record yourself greeting an imaginary teacher and an imaginary classmate, introducing yourself in both exchanges. Listen back and check your pronunciation of any accented vowels against the vocabulary table.
Reading Practice
Um bilhete curto — A short note
Oi! Eu sou Sônia. Obrigada! Tchau!
Tarefa de leitura — Reading task:
- What is the name of the person who wrote this note?
- Is this note written in an informal or a neutral style? Point to one word that tells you.
- Find the word that means "thank you" and the word that means "bye." Why does obrigada end in -a here rather than -o?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Tarefa 1 — Copy with diacritics: Copy each word from the Core Vocabulary tables by hand, including every accent mark, three times each.
Tarefa 2 — Complete the exchange: Fill in your own name in the blank, then write the full formulaic answer.
Tarefa 3 — Short written introduction: Write three short sentences introducing yourself, using only the vocabulary and patterns from this chapter, such as your greeting, your name, and a polite closing.
- Copy the vocabulary with diacritics first. This builds accurate spelling habits from the start.
- Fill in the blank exchange. Check that your answer uses the full formula, not just your name alone.
- Draft your three-sentence introduction. Keep every word within this chapter's vocabulary.
- Read your introduction aloud once. Listen for any nasal or accented vowels.
- Check your accent marks against the vocabulary tables. Correct any missing or misplaced diacritic.
Lista de revisão — Editing checklist:
- Every accent mark is included where the vocabulary table shows it.
- The formula eu sou... is used correctly and completely.
- The greeting chosen matches the intended relationship and time of day.
- obrigado/obrigada agrees with the writer's own gender.
- No new vocabulary from outside this chapter has been used.
Culture and Communication
Among many Brazilian speakers, greetings often include a warm tone and, in person, a light physical gesture such as a handshake or a cheek kiss depending on region, familiarity, and gender norms. This textbook focuses on the words themselves; nonverbal greeting customs vary widely and are best learned directly from the community you are engaging with.
Portuguese is spoken as a first or official language in Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Timor-Leste, and in communities in Macau, Goa, and the diaspora. This course uses contemporary Brazilian Portuguese as its production model, and it will introduce labeled comparisons with other varieties as the volumes progress. Speaking Portuguese does not by itself indicate a person's nationality, ethnicity, or political views.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing nao instead of não, or obrigado for a female speaker, treating diacritics as optional.
Correction: Always include the tilde, acute, circumflex, grave, or cedilla shown in the vocabulary table. These marks change pronunciation and sometimes meaning.
Error: Using obrigado regardless of the speaker's own gender.
Correction: A speaker who identifies as a man typically says obrigado, and a speaker who identifies as a woman typically says obrigada. The word agrees with the person speaking, not with the person being thanked.
Error: Pronouncing Portuguese vowels as English-style diphthongs, for example stretching the o in não into an English "oh" sound.
Correction: Keep Portuguese vowels short and precise, and let the tilde signal nasalization rather than an English glide.
Chapter Review
Parte A — Compreensão (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- Which greeting does Marcos use with the teacher, and which does he use with Camila?
- What does the teacher say after learning Marcos's name?
Parte B — Escrita (Writing)
1. Write two different formulas for asking someone's name.
2. Write the numbers 1 through 10 in Portuguese, with correct spelling.
Parte C — Leitura (Reading)
1. Return to the short note in Reading Practice, and identify which words show the writer's gender.
Parte D — Fala (Speaking)
1. Greet a partner using a time-of-day greeting, then greet the same partner informally, and explain to your partner which greeting felt more natural to you and why.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 1 Practical Check
First Meetings, Fully Introduced
Complete the following connected tasks, in order, treating them as one small first meeting.
- Read the model dialogue and the short note. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Prepare and deliver a neutral introduction. Greet an imagined teacher with a time-of-day greeting, give your name, and say goodbye politely.
- Prepare and deliver an informal introduction. Greet an imagined classmate, give your name, and say goodbye informally.
- Write your three-sentence introduction. Apply the editing checklist from the Writing Workshop.
- Count aloud from 0 to 10. Check your pronunciation against the vocabulary table.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Formula accuracy | The learner uses eu sou... correctly and completely in speech and writing. |
| Register and greeting choice | The learner selects an appropriate greeting for each context and time of day. |
| Diacritics and pronunciation | The learner produces and writes accent marks accurately on practiced vocabulary. |
| Gender agreement | The learner uses obrigado/obrigada correctly according to their own gender. |
| Numbers 0 to 10 | The learner counts aloud accurately and spells the numbers correctly. |
This checkpoint uses only material introduced in this chapter. No item on this rubric requires a system that has not yet been taught.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Marcos greets the teacher with boa noite, and greets Camila with the informal oi.
- The teacher says prazer em conhecer você, meaning "nice to meet you."
Writing
- Qual é o seu nome? and Como você se chama?
- um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, dez
Reading
- The word obrigada shows that the writer, Sônia, identifies as a woman, since the ending agrees with the speaker's gender.
Looking Ahead
O que você já sabe fazer — What you can do now
You can greet someone informally or neutrally by time of day, introduce yourself with eu sou..., ask someone else's name, say a small set of courtesy expressions, and count from 0 to 10, all while preserving Portuguese diacritics.