How To Write Emails in Portuguese

How To Write Formal And Informal Emails In Brazilian Portuguese

Thanks to posts by Transparent :)… here are some suggestions for writing both formal and informal emails in Brazilian Portuguese:

gmail in portuguese

How To Write Formal Emails in Portuguese

For those who need to learn Portuguese for work, this will come in handy…

1. Salutation / Greeting

A formal salutation to use is “Prezado Senhor” or “Prezada Senhora”, depending on the gender (senhor is male, senhora is female). You can also use Senhores, if you’re writing to more than one person.

If you don’t know who the e-mail is going to, you could just say “Bom dia,” or “Boa tarde,” or “Boa noite,”

2. Body of the e-mail

Here are some key phrases you might need:

-Quero agradecer (I’d like to thank you…)

-Encaminho em anexo (I’m sending you an attachment)

-Solicito essa oportunidade (I’m seeking this opportunity)

-Venho enviar a documentação (I’m sending you the documentation)

3. Ending

The most common way to sign off a formal email is with “Atenciosamente” (sincerely). Here are some other ones you can use:

Sem mais, agradeço desde já,  (And with that, I thank you in advance)

Com meus cumprimentos, (Best regards)

Atentamente, Sinceramente (Sincerely)

So let’s look at a full example e-mail.

Prezado Senhor,

Somos uma empresa de representações em vendas e temos em nosso quadro funcional apenas vendedores altamente capacitados e profissionalizados.

Anexamos nesta oportunidade nosso portfolio para análise e manifestamos nossa intenção de representar sua empresa em municípios da região. Caso haja interesse por parte de sua empresa, nos colocamos à disposição para novos contatos.

Agradecemos a atenção.

Atenciosamente,

Sérgio Fernandes

How to Write Informal Emails in Portuguese

These are the types of messages you’d send to co-workers, friends, or acquaintances.

1. Salutation / Greeting

First, look at This Post on informal greetings in Portuguese. And also, Here is a list of words for informally addressing your friends in Portuguese.

You can use “Querido” or “Querida” for dear, if it’s a loved one or a friend. The simplest salutation is just Olá or more commonly Oi (hello, hi). For co-workers who you may not know well, you could use “Prezado colega…” or “Estimado colega…” (Dear colleague) and these would be more formal salutations.

2. Body of the E-mail

Some key phrases for the body of the email:

–Tudo bem? or Tudo bom? (How’s it going?)

–Como estão as coisas? (How are things?)

–Tentei ligar para você (I tried to call you)

–Queria saber se (I wanted to know if)

–Bom final de semana! (Have a good weekend)

3. Ending

In an informal email, end by saying:

Um abraço (a hug)
Um beijo (a kiss)
Abraços (hugs)
Beijos (kisses)
Abs! (short for abraços) or Bjs! (short for beijos)
Até mais! (until later! / talk to you later!)

For co-workers and slightly more formal recipients, you can use:

Saudações (salutations)
Obrigado/a (thank you)
Aguardo sua resposta (I look forward to hearing from you)

Here’s an example of an informal email.

Oi Maria!

Tudo bem? Como estão as coisas em São Paulo? Aqui está fazendo muito calor, não aguento mais.

Liguei para você ontem para ver se recebeu os documentos que enviei por Sedex. Já chegaram? Posso te passar o número de rastreamento se quiser. O pacote era para chegar na segunda-feira, por isso queria saber.

Aguardo sua resposta. Até mais!

Saudações,

João

Technology News: Google Says “Cloud Networks” Are The Future of the Internet / Article In Portuguese With Technology Vocab

Cloud Computing – The Future of the Internet

Computação nas Nuvens – O Futuro da Internet

I have been reading a lot on the subject of cloud computing lately (in Portuguese, called “computação nas nuvens“), and have come to the realization that the cloud model will soon make network hardware obsolete. Basically, cloud computing means that the information from your office computer will not be stranded on an individual machine, but rather, that information will be stored in a digital “cloud,” and will be accessible at the touch of a finger from any portable device. This is huge.

A friend of mine in the Boston area has been working on a new company that offers cloud-based services. One of the things that is so great about the cloud computing model is that data can be stored anywhere and accessed from anywhere – no longer bound by the desktop computer or by local server capacity.  Thus my friend’s company has already gained clients in several different countries, including Brazil, even though they are based in the US.

If you are a new start-up I highly recommend looking into cloud computing. If you want more information, Here is the link for my friend’s company site “All IT Host,” and their cloud concept is called “Nephelo.”

Brazilian Tech Entrepreneurs in Boston Aim High With Cloud-Based Services

Also, here is a Portuguese article I found that offers a basic description of cloud computing. This article comes from  Tec Mundo, a great Brazilian site for reading up on technology…

O que é Computação em Nuvens?

A computação nas nuvens, em inglês chamada de “cloud computing”, é uma tendência na internet do futuro. Mas você sabe o que significa essa expressão?

Acredita-se que no futuro ninguém mais precisará instalar nenhum software em seu computador para desempenhar qualquer tipo de tarefa, desde edição de imagens e vídeos até a utilização de programas de escritório (Office), pois tudo isso será acessível através da internet.

Estes são os chamados serviços online. Ou seja, você simplesmente cria uma conta no site, utiliza o aplicativo online e pode salvar todo o trabalho que for feito para acessar depois de qualquer lugar. É justamente por isso que o seu computador estará nas nuvens, pois você poderá acessar os aplicativos a partir de qualquer computador que tenha acesso à internet.

O Google é uma empresa que acredita muito de que isso já está se tornando realidade, pois já traz uma porção de aplicativos que rodam diretamente em seu navegador.

Leia Mais / Read The Rest…

Portuguese Vocab From The Article:

tendência – trend

instalar – to install

desempenhar – to exercise or fulfill a function or task

tarefa – task / assignment

programas de escritório – office programs

“acessível através da internet” – “accessible through the internet”

serviços – services

“cria uma conta no site” – “create an account on the site”

“o trabalho que for feito “ – “the work that is done” (“for” is the verb “ser” conjugated in the subjunctive)

“…a partir de qualquer computador que tenha acesso à internet” – “…from any computer that has internet access” (“tenha” is the subjunctive form of the verb “ter”)

uma empresa – a company / business

“…já está se tornando” – “…already is becoming”

“aplicativos que rodam…” – “…applications that run…”

Instant Messaging / IM / MSN In Brazil – List of Portuguese Chat Abbreviations

Dictionary of Portuguese Internet Abbreviations

Most Brazilians use MSN to chat online with IM. Like in English, Brazilian chat lingo tends to shorten many words, so it takes a little getting used to. Here is a quick reference for some very common online abbreviations used in Portuguese:

portuguese internet slang

rsrsrs – “risos”, dar risada (represents laughter)

ñ, naum – não (no)

vc – você

cd – cadê? (where is…?)

Oq, oke, o q, oque, or oqe – o que (what)

pq – porque? (why?)

q – que (that)

p/, pra or p – para (for)

tbm, tb – também (also, too)

td – “tudo” (all, everything)

blz? – “beleza?” (what’s up, everything good? *full explanation Here)

aki – aqui (here)

vlw – valeu (thanks)

mara – maravilhoso (marvelous)

qlq or qq – qualquer (whatever, whichever)

rpz – rapaz (guy, dude)

msm – mesmo (really, same)

mto, mtu – muito (many, much, a lot)

qro – quero (i want)

qdo, qd, or qnd – quando (when)

qto – quanto (how many)

qm – quem (who)

jah – Já (already)

c/ – com (with)

cmg – comego (with me)

+ ou – – mais ou menos (“i’m ok” {in response to “how are you?”})

flw – falow (slang for “bye”)

xau – tchau (bye)

to – estou (i am)

ta – está (he/she is)

Also, Z’s and X’s are often used to replace other letters in MSN abbreviations, and words with double letters are shortened. Observe:

chocolate – xocolate; achar – axar; passar – pasar; assassino – asasino; asas – azas

 

Lastly, here are some of my other posts which may be helpful when chatting or posting online in Portuguese:

Slang Greetings in Portuguese

List of Words For Dude / Informal Words For Your Friends

Popular Slang Phrases in Portuguese    and finally…

Emoticons in Portuguese

Enjoy! 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Portuguese Computer Terms

Brazil has become famous for its computer hackers and tech obsession. Although tech gadgets are much more expensive in Brazil than they are in the states (next time you go, try bringing a few iphones to sell and see the crazy profits you can make), that does not mean that people obsess over the newest technology any less. Here’s a Portuguese vocab list for all of you wondering about basic computer and tech terminology.

tecnologia – technology

eletrônico – electronic

armazenamento – storage

o computador – the computer

a memória – the memory

o botão – the button

“ligar/ desligar o computador” – to turn on / off the computer

clicar – to click

o arquivo, or a pasta – file

selecionar – to select

salvar – to save

apagar (or deletar) – to delete

copiar – to copy

colar – to paste

editar – to edit

imprimir – to print

baixar – to download (or you can say: “dar download”)

a tela – the screen

a impressora – the printer

o teclado – the keyboard

as caixas de som – speakers

gravador de DVD – DVD burner

processador – processor

o documento – the document

sem-fio – wireless

janela – window

vírus – virus

vídeo – video

atualizar – to update

planilha – spreadsheet

uma programa – a program, software

configurações– settings

o servidor – server

enviar – to send (to)

a segurança – security

receber – to receive

o projetor – projector

o programador – programmer

a senha – password

notebook – laptop

o jogo de computador – computer game

o engenheiro – engineer

cartão de memória – memory card

ajuda – help

gráficos – graphics

formatar – to format

fonte – font

um erro – an error

os dados – data

a copiadora – copier

o código – code

a calculadora – calculator

o cabo – cable

inteligência artificial – artificial intelligence

um fio – a (computer) wire, cable

aplicação – application

algoritmo – algorithm

acessórios – accessories

o disco rígido – hard drive

o pen driver – a USB flash drive

botar – to put (up), as in to upload a file

digitar – to type

rascunho – draft

anexar um arquivo – to attach a file

denunciar spam – to report spam

lixeira – trash  

assunto – subject 

navegador – browser

assinatura – signature 

aba – tab

banda larga – broadband

cadastrar-se – sign up/create an account

fazer login/entrar – to login

sair – to log out

 

“eu botei as fotos no meu Orkut.” – “i put the pictures up on my Orkut.” (*Orkut was for a long time like the Brazilian Facebook, everyone had an Orkut page. but these days Facebook is becoming about equal in popularity.)

“João, salva o documento nessa janela e desliga o computador para mim, por favor.” – “John, save the document in this window and turn the computer off for me, please.”

*”mouse,” “ipod,” “website” (or “site”), “software,” “hardware,” “modem,” “joystick,” “fax,” “demo,” and “monitor” are all the same words in Portuguese, just pronounced with their accent

Vocab: The Internet: Emoticons in Portuguese

Internet Emoticons in Portuguese

Here are some pictures of emoticons used commonly on MSN, etc. and their description in Portuguese: Click HERE for a list of Brazilian Portuguese abbreviations commonly used in In MSN, Orkut or chat.