Você, Tu, and Vocês in Brazilian Portuguese: A Guide for Spanish Speakers — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Learn the common você pattern as a complete unit
In much of Brazil, você is a common way to say you to one person. It takes a third-person singular verb form: você fala, você quer, and você está. This is a key adjustment for a Spanish speaker who expects a second-person ending after tú or vos.
The same form can sound friendly and ordinary in many Brazilian settings. Tone, relationship, and region matter, so learn how the people around you address one another.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você fala inglês também? | Do you speak English too? |
| Você quer sentar aqui? | Would you like to sit here? |
| Você está esperando alguém? | Are you waiting for someone? |
Recognize tu and its regional verb patterns
Tu is also used in Brazil, but its frequency and verb agreement vary by region and speaker. Some speakers use tu with the traditional second-person form, while many informal speakers use tu with a third-person singular verb, as in tu fala. Regional usage is not uniform.
When learning from a person or local audio source, notice both the pronoun and the verb form. For your own speech, follow a consistent pattern instead of mixing forms because a Spanish conjugation looks familiar.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Tu falas muito rápido? | Do you speak very quickly? (Traditional agreement) |
| Tu fala muito rápido? | Do you speak very quickly? (Common informal regional pattern) |
| Você fala muito rápido? | Do you speak very quickly? (Common in much of Brazil) |
Use vocês for more than one person
Vocês means you when speaking to a group. It takes third-person plural agreement: vocês falam, vocês querem, vocês estão. Spanish speakers may recognize the meaning, but the Portuguese verb ending is worth practising aloud.
Use vocês in everyday group conversations. Portuguese vós exists in historical and formal contexts but is not the ordinary plural you form most learners need for conversation in Brazil.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Vocês moram aqui perto? | Do you all live nearby? |
| Vocês querem dividir a sobremesa? | Would you all like to share dessert? |
| Vocês estão prontos para sair? | Are you all ready to leave? |
Choose respectful address from the situation
O senhor and a senhora can mark respectful address to one person, especially when the setting calls for more formality or age-based courtesy. They take third-person singular verbs: o senhor gostaria, a senhora precisa. They are not an automatic replacement for every Spanish use of usted.
In a shop or service interaction, a polite greeting and request can be enough; pay attention to how the other person speaks and use a respectful form if it feels appropriate.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| A senhora gostaria de uma sacola? | Would you like a bag? (Respectful address) |
| O senhor pode assinar aqui, por favor? | Could you sign here, please? (Respectful address) |
| Você pode me ajudar, por favor? | Could you help me, please? (Polite everyday request) |
Remember: Practise each pronoun with its Brazilian verb form, and let region and relationship guide your choice.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Do you speak English too?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você fala inglês também?
Would you like to sit here?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você quer sentar aqui?
Are you waiting for someone?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você está esperando alguém?
Do you speak very quickly? (Traditional agreement)
Show a Portuguese answer
Tu falas muito rápido?
Do you speak very quickly? (Common informal regional pattern)
Show a Portuguese answer
Tu fala muito rápido?
Do you speak very quickly? (Common in much of Brazil)
Show a Portuguese answer
Você fala muito rápido?
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Practise each pronoun with its Brazilian verb form, and let region and relationship guide your choice.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Você, Tu, and Vocês in Brazilian Portuguese: A Guide for Spanish Speakers lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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