How to Say 'Thanks' In Portuguese (Formal, Informal & Slang)

In Portuguese, there are a few popular ways to say “thank you”.

The one you use depends on the situation, your relationship with the person, and even your own gender.

But it’s all very straightforward.

The most common way to say “thank you” in Portuguese is with the word obrigado.

But here’s where it differs from gracias in Spanish: obrigado changes based on the gender of the person who is speaking.

In Portuguese, it’s you (the speaker) who is “obliged,” hence it agrees with your gender.

Here’s the rule:

• If you identify as male, you say obrigado.
• If you identify as female, you say obrigada.
• If you’re an all-male or mixed group, you say obrigado.
• If you’re an all-girl group, obrigadas.

You’re literally saying “I am obliged” (it’s an adjective).

Aqui está o seu café.

Here is your coffee.

Obrigado.

Thank you (spoken by a man).

Você deixou cair a sua carteira.

You dropped your wallet.

Ah, obrigada!

Oh, thank you! (spoken by a woman).

It doesn’t matter who you’re talking to; it only matters who you are.

How to say “thank you very much”

If you want to add more emphasis and say “thank you very much” or “thanks a lot”, you simply add the word muito before obrigado or obrigada.

• Muito obrigado (if you’re male)
• Muito obrigada (if you’re female)

Muito obrigado pela sua ajuda.

Thank you very much for your help.

For even more emphasis, you can use the superlative muitíssimo, which is like saying “thank you so, so much!”

• Muitíssimo obrigado (if you’re male)
• Muitíssimo obrigada (if you’re female)

O presente é lindo, muitíssimo obrigada!

The gift is beautiful, thank you so much!

Informal and slang ways to say “thanks”

In day-to-day conversation, especially with friends and family, you’ll hear more informal ways of saying thanks.

This is where you’ll see the biggest difference between Brazil and Portugal.

Brazilian Portuguese informal “thanks”

In Brazil, by far the most common informal “thanks” is valeu.

You’ll hear it everywhere. It’s the equivalent of saying “cheers” or “thanks” in English.

Another very common habit is for Brazilians to shorten obrigado to just ‘brigado.

Ei, pode me passar o sal?

Hey, can you pass me the salt?

Claro, aqui está.

Sure, here you go.

Valeu!

Cheers!

European Portuguese informal “thanks”

In Portugal, valeu is not used. People stick to obrigado/a.

However, they do sometimes use the diminutive form to sound friendlier or cuter, especially with children.

• Obrigadinho (from a male)
• Obrigadinha (from a female)

This is like saying “thanks a little” or “thanks a bunch”.

It’s a warm, friendly expression.

Aqui tens um doce para ti.

Here's a sweet for you.

Oh, obrigadinha!

Oh, thanks a bunch!

How to say “you’re welcome” in Portuguese

Of course, after someone thanks you, you’ll need to know how to reply.

The most common way to say “you’re welcome” is de nada.

This works in both Brazil and Portugal and is a safe, all-purpose response.

But there are other options, too. Memorizing these phrases as “chunks” will help you sound more natural.

Obrigado pela carona.

Thank you for the ride.

De nada!

You're welcome!

More formal ways to express gratitude

In a business context, in writing, or when you want to show deep respect, there are more formal ways to express gratitude.

Instead of obrigado, you can use agradecido (for men) or agradecida (for women), which means “grateful”.

You can use it in a sentence like this:

Fico muito agradecido pela oportunidade.

I am very grateful for the opportunity.

Here are a few other useful chunks for formal situations:

• Agradeço a sua ajuda. (I thank you for your help.)
• Os meus agradecimentos. (My thanks.)

The most important thing to remember is the gender rule: obrigado for men, obrigada for women.

Once you’ve got that down, the rest is just about learning a few different phrasal expressions as chunks for different situations.

Start with obrigado/a and de nada, and you’ll be able to handle most situations with politeness and confidence.

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