LinguaAsking how someone is
The everyday question is Tudo bem? (all good?), answered Tudo bem or Tudo, e tu? With the verb estar (to be, of how you feel): Como estás? to a friend, Como está? politely. Answers: Estou bem, obrigado (I’m fine, thanks), Mais ou menos (so-so), Estou cansado (I’m tired) – a woman says cansada.
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tudo bem? | All good? How’s it going? |
| Como estás? | How are you? (to a friend) |
| Como está? | How are you? (polite) |
| Estou bem, obrigado. | I’m fine, thanks. |
| Mais ou menos. | So-so. |
| Estou cansada. | I’m tired. (a woman speaking) |
tu, o senhor, a senhora – and você
tu is for friends, family, children and people your age. To older people, in shops and offices, say o senhor (to a man) or a senhora (to a woman) with the verb in the “he/she” form: O senhor está bem? Portuguese people also simply use the name: A Joana quer um café? (Do you want a coffee, Joana?). Você exists, but many people find it too blunt with someone older – o senhor / a senhora is the safe polite choice.
Bom dia! A senhora está bem?Good morning! Are you well? (to a lady)
A Joana quer um café?Would you like a coffee, Joana? (polite, using her name)
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tudo bem | all good, everything OK | Olá, Marta! Tudo bem? Hi, Marta! All good? |
| como estás | how are you? (to a friend) | Bom dia, avó! Como estás? Good morning, Grandma! How are you? |
| bem | well, fine | Hoje estou bem. Today I am fine. |
| mais ou menos | so-so | O trabalho? Mais ou menos. Work? So-so. |
| cansado | tired | O Pedro está muito cansado. Pedro is very tired. |
| obrigado | thank you (said by a man) | Obrigado, até amanhã! Thanks, see you tomorrow! |
| obrigada | thank you (said by a woman) | Obrigada pelo café! Thanks for the coffee! |
| e tu | and you? (to a friend) | Estou bem. E tu? I’m fine. And you? |
| o senhor | you (polite, to a man); sir, the gentleman | O senhor fala inglês? Do you speak English, sir? |
| a senhora | you (polite, to a woman); madam, the lady | A senhora mora aqui? Do you live here, madam? |
| o amigo | friend (a man or boy) | O Rui é um amigo da escola. Rui is a friend from school. |
| a amiga | friend (a woman or girl) | A minha amiga chama-se Beatriz. My friend is called Beatriz. |
Exercises
This lesson has 9 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 2
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Rita gets her coffee and thanks the waiter. What does she say?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.