Cliff Jones Jr.

Core Vocabulary in Portuguese #

What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is part one of the Portuguese (Brazilian) version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”


Abbreviations #

m = masculine gender (“o”)

f = feminine gender (“a”)


Nouns #

  1. name = nome (m)
  2. water = água (f)
  3. blood = sangue (m)
  4. fire = fogo (m)
  5. stone/rock = pedra (f), rocha (f)
  6. dog = cachorro (m), cão (m)
  7. fish = peixe (m)
  8. louse/flea = piolho (m), pulga (f)
  9. hand/arm = mão (f), braço (m)
  10. eye = olho (m)
  11. ear = orelha (f), ouvido (m)
  12. nose = nariz (m)
  13. tongue = língua (f)
  14. tooth = dente (m)
  15. bone = osso (m)
  16. horn = chifre (m), corno (m)
  17. tail = rabo (m), cauda (f)
  18. egg = ovo (m)
  19. leaf = folha (f)
  20. night/evening = noite (f)
  21. star = estrela (f)
  22. sun = sol (m)
  23. moon = lua (f)
  24. earth/soil = terra (f), solo (m)
  25. salt = sal (m)
  26. mountain = montanha (f)
  27. tree = árvore (f)
  28. rain = chuva (f)
  29. wind = vento (m)
  30. bird = pássaro (m)
  31. flesh/meat = carne (f), vianda (f)
  32. liver = fígado (m)
  33. skin/hide = pele (f)
  34. knee = joelho (m)
  35. breast/chest = peito (m)
  36. person/human = pessoa (f), humano (m)
  37. man = homem (m)
  38. woman = mulher (f)
  39. child = criança (f), menino/menina
  40. hair/fur = cabelo (m), pele (f)
  41. mouth = boca (f)
  42. neck = pescoço (m), colo (m)
  43. foot/leg = pé (m), perna (f)
  44. feather = pena (f), pluma (f)
  45. grease/fat = graxa (f), gordura (f)
  46. smoke = fumaça (f)
  47. ash/soot = cinza (f), fuligem (f)
  48. sand = areia (f)
  49. wood = madeira (f)
  50. root = raiz (f)
  51. rope/cord = corda (f)
  52. path/road = caminho (m), estrada (f)
  53. year = ano (m)

Verbs #

  1. die = morrer
  2. see/look/watch = ver, olhar, enxergar
  3. hear/listen = ouvir, escutar
  4. know = saber, conhecer
  5. drink = beber
  6. give = dar, doar
  7. come = vir
  8. stand = levantar[-se], ficar
  9. sit/set = sentar[-se], assentar
  10. lie/lay = deitar[-se]
  11. fly = voar
  12. eat = comer
  13. bite = morder
  14. burn = queimar
  15. kill = matar
  16. say/tell/speak/talk = dizer, falar
  17. laugh = rir, gargalhar

Adjectives #

  1. new = novo/nova
  2. full = cheio/cheia, pleno/plena
  3. good = bom/boa
  4. long = longo/longa, comprido/comprida
  5. red = vermelho/vermelha
  6. black = preto/preta
  7. white = branco/branca
  8. green = verde
  9. yellow = amarelo/amarela
  10. small/little = pequeno/pequena
  11. big/large = grande
  12. wide/broad = largo/larga
  13. heavy = pesado/pesada
  14. old = velho/velho
  15. dry = seco/seca

Other #

  1. I/me = eu/me/mim
  2. you = você, tu/te/ti, vocês, vós/vos
  3. what/which = que, qual
  4. who/whom = quem
  5. one/a/an = um/uma
  6. two = dois/duas
  7. not/no = não
  8. this/these = este/esta/estes/estas, isto
  9. we/us = nós/nos
  10. all/everything/everyone = todo/toda/todos/todas, tudo