Which one should you use?
The forms obrigado and obrigada differ based on the speaker's gender. If you are a man, you use obrigado whether you are speaking to a man or a woman. If you are a woman, you use obrigada regardless of the recipient's gender. Additionally, you can say Muito obrigado(a) to mean 'Thank you very much'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Brazil, valeu is a common, informal and gender-neutral way to say 'thanks'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term valeu is specifically noted as a common informal way to say 'thanks' in Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Portuguese, the word for 'thank you' must agree with the gender of the speaker, not the person being thanked.
How do you pronounce it?
/o.bɾiˈɡa.du/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly change the ending of the word to match the gender of the person they are talking to.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, valeu is so versatile that it can be used as 'thanks', 'goodbye' or even 'it is a deal' depending on the context.
- Because obrigado stems from the Latin 'obligatus', you are literally telling the other person that you are 'bound' to them by a debt of gratitude.
- In some regions of Portugal, you might hear obrigadinho as a diminutive. This adds a layer of extra sweetness or intimacy to the thanks.
Examples in context
- Valeu, garota!Thanks, girl!
- Obrigado pela ajuda, Maria.Thank you for the help, Maria.
- Muito obrigado por tudo.Thank you very much for everything.
Example conversation
Lucas is thanking Camila for bringing him a coffee.
- CamilaLucas, você quer café?Lucas, do you want some coffee?
- LucasSim, por favor.Yes, please.
- CamilaAqui está o seu café.Here is your coffee.
- LucasMuito obrigado, Camila.Thank you very much, Camila.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry obrigado, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries obrigado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
