
Work is a common subject of conversation, and knowing some Portuguese words and phrases in this area will be useful if you’re traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country. For the best results, you should practice with an expert tutor, who’ll make sure you’re up to speed with all the vocabulary and grammar. In this post, we look at 50 Portuguese words and 10 phrases to get you started.
Vocabulary
Below are 50 Portuguese words for talking about jobs and work.
Job
Trabalho, emprego
Boss
Chefe
Colleague
Colega de trabalho
Employee
Funcionário(a)
Company
Empresa
Freelancer
Trabalhador(a) autônomo(a) [BR], trabalhador(a) independente [EU/BR]
Note: the anglicism freelancer is also common.
Work
Trabalho
Career
Carreira
Day off
Dia de folga
Vacation
Férias
Accountant
Contador(a)
Architect
Arquiteto(a) [BR], arquitecto(a) [EU]
Baker
Padeiro(a)
Banker
Banqueiro(a)
Builder
Construtor(a)
Bus driver
Motorista de ônibus [BR], condutor de autocarro [EU]
Businessman/businesswoman
Empresário(a)
Butcher
Açougueiro(a)
Carpenter
Carpinteiro(a)
Cashier
Caixa
Chef
Chefe de cozinha
Note: recently, the anglicism chef has also become popular in Brazil.
Clerk
Escriturário(a)
Company director
Diretor(a) da empresa
Consultant
Consultor(a)
Counselor
Conselheiro(a)
Decorator
Decorador(a)
Dentist
Dentista
Designer
Designer [BR], planeador(a) [EU]
Doctor
Médico(a)
Electrician
Eletricista [BR], electricista [EU]
Engineer
Engenheiro(a)
Farmer
Agricultor(a)
Fireman
Bombeiro(a)
Flight attendant
Comissário(a) de bordo
Garbage collector
Coletor de lixo
Hairdresser
Cabelereiro(a)
Janitor
Zelador(a)
Journalist
Jornalista
Lawyer
Advogado(a)
Mail carrier
Carteiro(a)
Nurse
Enfermeiro(a)
Pharmacist
Farmacêutico(a)
Pilot
Piloto(a)
Plumber
Encanador(a) [BR], canalizador(a) [EU]
Police officer
Oficial de polícia
Politician
Político(a)
Scientist
Cientista
Student
Estudante
Translator
Tradutor(a)
Writer
Escritor(a)
Phrases
Now we’ll look at ten simple phrases using some of the above vocabulary.
I am a lawyer.
Eu sou um(a) advogado(a)
She is a plumber.
Ela é uma encanadora. [BR]
Ela é uma canalizadora. [EU]
I get on well with my boss.
Eu me dou bem com meu/minha chefe.
I like my job.
Eu gosto do meu emprego.
I work five days a week.
Eu trabalho cinco dias por semana.
Tomorrow is your day off.
Amanhã é seu dia de folga.
They get two vacations per year.
Eles tem duas férias por ano.
I work in an office.
Eu trabalho num escritório.
He works for a big company.
Ele trabalha para uma grande empresa.
I am a freelancer.
Eu sou um(a) freelancer.
OR
Eu sou um(a) trabalhador(a) autônomo(a). [BR]
Eu sou um(a) trabalhador(a) independente. [EU/BR]
Work with a Tutor
Now it’s time to practice these, and other Portuguese words and phrases related to jobs and work, with a tutor. Whatever your job, our tutors can adapt themselves to your schedule. Don’t delay—book a lesson today!