Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| obrigado | /o.bɾiˈɡa.du/ (Brazil) /ɔ.bɾiˈɡa.du/ (Portugal) |
|
| obrigada | /o.bɾiˈɡa.dɐ/ (Brazil) /ɔ.bɾiˈɡa.dɐ/ (Portugal) |
|
| valeu | /vaˈlew/ (Brazil) /vɐˈlew/ (Portugal) |
Brazil, informal |
The standard way to express gratitude is to use the forms obrigado or obrigada. To say 'thank you very much', you can say Muito obrigado/a. If you wish to express 'thank you very much for your kindness', you can use the phrase muito obrigado pela sua gentileza. For highly respectful and formal situations, you can use the phrase Eu lhe agradeço, which translates to 'I thank you'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word obrigado literally means 'obliged' or 'bound', implying that you are 'obliged' to the person for their kindness.
Which one should you use?
While obrigado and obrigada are the standard polite forms, valeu is a much more informal way to say 'thanks' or 'cheers'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Obrigado and obrigada are polite, standard forms. Valeu is used in casual, familiar settings and is significantly more informal. For a highly respectful and formal tone, use Eu lhe agradeço.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form valeu is used in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on the gender of the person speaking, not the person being thanked. A male speaker must use the masculine form obrigado, while a female speaker must use the feminine form obrigada.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of obrigado is /o.bɾiˈɡa.du/. It has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- In some regions of Brazil, people use valeu not just to say 'thanks' but also as a casual 'goodbye' or 'hello' among close friends.
- In Portuguese, you can express that you are 'grateful' using grato or grata, which functions similarly to obrigado but is often reserved for written correspondence.
- The informal valeu is so common in Brazil that it can also be used to mean 'okay' or 'it's a deal' in certain contexts.
Examples in context
- Eu vou bem, obrigado.I am fine, thank you.This sentence shows how to use obrigado to say you are fine.Tatoeba #1255934 by alexmarcelo, translation #926934 by zvaigzne
- Bem, obrigado. E você?Well thank you. And you?This sentence demonstrates using obrigado in a polite response.Tatoeba #1571528 by alexmarcelo, translation #8196754 by josivangoncalves
- Obrigado a todo mundo.Thank you very much, everyone.This sentence uses obrigado to thank a group of people.Tatoeba #2100065 by MarlonX19, translation #2099711 by LanguageExpert
- 405 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felipe is handing Beatriz a cup of coffee.
- FelipeAqui está o seu café, Beatriz.Here is your coffee, Beatriz.
- BeatrizObrigado, Felipe!Thank you, Felipe!
- FelipeDe nada!You're welcome!
- BeatrizVocê é muito gentil.You are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thank you” translations and entries obrigado, obrigada, valeu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
