Bem, obrigado
/ˈbẽj̃ o.bɾiˈɡa.du/word by word
The English phrase 'good thank you' is translated into Portuguese as Bem, obrigado.
Obrigado/a is the most common way to express gratitude in Portuguese, with the ending 'o' used by males and 'a' used by females. Muito obrigado/a means 'thank you very much'. To express an extra level of appreciation, you can say Muito obrigado/a mesmo! to mean 'Thank you very much indeed!'
What does it mean word for word?
In this context, Bem specifically means 'well' (adverb) rather than 'good' (adjective).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word obrigado changes its ending based on the gender of the speaker, not the gender of the person being thanked. A female speaker should use obrigada instead of obrigado to say 'thank you'. Additionally, in response to 'Tudo bem?' (Is everything well?), it is common to say Tudo bem, obrigado to mean 'Everything is fine, thank you'.
Did you know?
- When you say obrigado, you are literally saying 'I am obliged' or 'I am bound' to you. It conveys the idea that the person's kindness has created a debt of gratitude that you now carry.
- In highly informal Brazilian Portuguese, the o at the end of obrigado is often dropped or softened, sounding more like obrigad.
- In some regions of Brazil, people may respond to Tudo bem? by simply repeating Tudo bem back as a question, skipping obrigado entirely during the initial greeting exchange.
Examples in context
- Muito bem, obrigado.Very good, thank you.Tatoeba #1220246 by alexmarcelo, translation #464308 by lukaszpp
Example conversation
Beatriz and Felipe meet on the street.
- BeatrizOlá, Felipe! Como você está?Hello, Felipe! How are you?
- FelipeBem, obrigado. E você, Beatriz?Good, thank you. And you, Beatriz?
- BeatrizEstou ótima, obrigada!I am great, thank you!
- FelipeQue bom!That's good!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bem, obrigado) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bem, obrigado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
