você
standard, Brazil
In Brazilian Portuguese "you" is você in most of the country. Some regions use tu, and o senhor or a senhora show respect for older or higher status people.
Meaning: second person (pronoun)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | Note |
|---|---|
| você | standard, Brazil |
| tu | regional, Brazil |
| o senhor | formal, male |
| a senhora | formal, female |
Which one should you use?
The plural is vocês. In Portugal você can sound distant, while in Brazil it is the normal everyday word.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Tu is common in parts of the south, the north and the northeast, and in Rio de Janeiro. Você is the safe default across Brazil.
How does it change in a sentence?
Você takes the third person verb, so it is você é and você tem. Tu is often used with the third person verb as well in Brazil, for example tu é.
Did you know?
- The word você comes from the old formal address vossa mercê, worn down over centuries.
Examples in context
- Você é de onde?Where are you from?
- Tu vens amanhã?Are you coming tomorrow?
- A senhora gostaria de um café?Would you like a coffee, ma'am?
Example conversation
Aline meets her new neighbor Henrique in the building lobby.
- AlineOi! Você mora aqui?Hi! Do you live here?
- HenriqueMoro sim, no terceiro andar.Yes, on the third floor.
- AlineEu moro no quinto.I live on the fifth.
