obrigado
/o.bɾiˈɡa.du/
The Portuguese phrase for "thank you to a woman" is obrigado.
This phrase is used by a male speaker to express gratitude to a woman.
Which one should you use?
A male speaker uses obrigado to express thanks, whereas a female speaker must use obrigada.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions of Brazil, people use brigada instead of obrigada.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word obrigado must agree with the gender of the speaker, so a male speaker uses obrigado regardless of whom he is thanking. A female speaker must say obrigada to express thanks.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /o.bɾiˈɡa.du/.
Did you know?
- The word obrigado is also used as an adjective to mean 'forced' or 'required', as in estou obrigado a ir meaning 'I am forced to go'.
- The word obrigado is a direct relative of the English word 'obliged'. Both derive from the Latin obligātus, meaning 'to bind in obligation'.
- Even when thanking a thousand people, a man only ever says obrigado in the singular form.
Examples in context
- Muito obrigado, senhora.Thank you very much, ma'am.
- Obrigado pelo presente, Camila.Thank you for the gift, Camila.
- Obrigado pela ajuda de hoje.Thank you for the help today.
Example conversation
Lucas is thanking Camila for a cup of coffee.
- CamilaLucas, você quer café?Lucas, do you want 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.
