Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Portuguese vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.
Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.
| English | Portuguese | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the apple | a maçã | I eat the apple. Eu como a maçã. |
| the book | o livro | She reads the book. Ela lê o livro. |
| the cat | o gato | The cat is sleeping. O gato está dormindo. |
| the dog | o cachorro | The dog is barking. O cachorro está latindo. |
| the car | o carro | He drives the car. Ele dirige o carro. |
| the house | a casa | We live in a house. Nós moramos em uma casa. |
| the chair | a cadeira | She sits on the chair. Ela se senta na cadeira. |
| the table | a mesa | Put the book on the table. Coloque o livro na mesa. |
| the window | a janela | Open the window. Abra a janela. |
| the door | a porta | Close the door. Feche a porta. |
| the pencil | o lápis | I write with the pencil. Eu escrevo com o lápis. |
| the paper | o papel | The paper is on the table. O papel está na mesa. |
| the school | a escola | The school is big. A escola é grande. |
| the teacher | o professor | The teacher teaches math. O professor ensina matemática. |
| the student | o aluno | The student is studying. O aluno está estudando. |
| the boy | o menino | The boy is playing. O menino está brincando. |
| the girl | a menina | The girl is singing. A menina está cantando. |
| the adult | o adulto | The adult is working. O adulto está trabalhando. |
| the friend | o amigo | My friend is here. Meu amigo está aqui. |
| the tree | a árvore | The tree is tall. A árvore é alta. |
Every word explained individually – with example sentence and audio: Browse all 1000 words →
| to accept | aceitar |
| to add | adicionar |
| to agree | concordar |
| to allow | permitir |
| to ask | perguntar |
| to believe | acreditar |
| to borrow | pegar emprestado |
| to break | quebrar |
| to bring | trazer |
| to build | construir |
| I like apples | Eu gosto de maçãs |
| She is my friend | Ela é minha amiga |
| It is a sunny day | Está um dia ensolarado |
| He runs fast | Ele corre rápido |
| We are happy | Nós estamos felizes |
| They play soccer | Eles jogam futebol |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.
Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.
Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Portuguese vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.