Portuguese has several ways to say "you", and which one sounds natural depends on who you're talking to and where you are. In Brazil, the everyday word is você, the respectful form is o senhor or a senhora, and tu is common in some regions. Portugal works quite differently. This guide focuses on Brazilian Portuguese, with a short section on Portugal, and explains when to use each form and how the verbs change.
The forms of "you" in Brazil
| Form | Number | Register | Verb form |
|---|---|---|---|
| você | Singular | Neutral to informal | 3rd person (você fala) |
| tu | Singular | Informal, regional | 2nd person (tu falas), often 3rd person in casual speech (tu fala) |
| o senhor / a senhora | Singular | Respectful | 3rd person (o senhor fala) |
| vocês | Plural | Neutral | 3rd person plural (vocês falam) |
| os senhores / as senhoras | Plural | Respectful | 3rd person plural |
Você is the default "you" across most of Brazil. It's used with friends, colleagues, shop staff and strangers of similar age, and it's what you'll see in ads and apps. It originally came from Vossa Mercê ("Your Grace"), which is why it takes third-person verbs, like "he" or "she".
O senhor (to a man) and a senhora (to a woman) literally mean "the gentleman" and "the lady". They show respect and are used instead of você, with the same third-person verbs: O senhor quer um café? ("Would you like a coffee, sir?")
When to use você
- Friends, family, partners and children (unless your region uses tu)
- Colleagues, including your manager in most modern workplaces
- People your age or younger, including strangers
- Customers in relaxed businesses, such as cafés and shops aimed at young people
When to use o senhor and a senhora
- Older people, especially elderly strangers and older relatives
- Customers, in more formal service like hotels, banks and good restaurants
- Officials, doctors and anyone in a formal role, at least at first
- Your partner's parents, until they tell you otherwise
Brazilians also show respect with titles before first names: Seu João and Dona Maria for older people, neighbors and building staff, and Doutor or Doutora for doctors and lawyers. Using a first name with Dona or Seu is warm and respectful at the same time.
Where Brazilians use tu
Tu is everyday speech in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, in much of the North and Northeast (for example Belém, São Luís and Recife), and in casual Rio de Janeiro speech. In many of these places, people combine tu with the você verb form in casual speech: Tu vai na festa? ("Are you going to the party?") In São Luís, Belém and in more careful speech in the South, you'll also hear the traditional form: Tu vais à festa?
You don't need to use tu to be understood anywhere in Brazil. Você works everywhere.
Portugal: a different system
In Portugal, tu is the normal informal form with friends, family and people your age, and it always takes second-person verbs (tu falas). Você exists but can sound awkward or even impolite when used directly to someone's face, so many speakers avoid it. Formal speech often uses o senhor / a senhora, a title (o senhor doutor), or the person's name in the third person: A Ana quer um café? ("Would you like a coffee, Ana?"). If you're learning Brazilian Portuguese and visit Lisbon, o senhor and a senhora are the safest choice with strangers.
How the verbs change
| Infinitive | tu (traditional) | você / o senhor | vocês / os senhores |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser (be) | tu és | você é | vocês são |
| estar (be) | tu estás | você está | vocês estão |
| ter (have) | tu tens | você tem | vocês têm |
| querer (want) | tu queres | você quer | vocês querem |
| poder (can) | tu podes | você pode | vocês podem |
| falar (speak) | tu falas | você fala | vocês falam |
In everyday Brazilian speech, object pronouns mix freely: Eu te ligo amanhã ("I'll call you tomorrow") uses te even with você. With o senhor, Brazilians use the full form instead: Eu ligo para o senhor amanhã.
Example sentences: você vs o senhor / a senhora
| English | você | o senhor / a senhora |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Tudo bem? / Como você está? | Como o senhor está? / Como vai a senhora? |
| Would you like a coffee? | Quer um café? | A senhora aceita um café? |
| Can you help me? | Você pode me ajudar? | O senhor poderia me ajudar? |
| Are you from around here? | Você é daqui? | O senhor é daqui? |
| Have you had lunch yet? | Você já almoçou? | A senhora já almoçou? |
| Have a seat. | Senta aí! | Sente-se, por favor. / Fique à vontade. |
| Do you have a minute? | Você tem um minuto? | O senhor tem um minutinho? |
| I'll call you tomorrow. | Eu te ligo amanhã. | Eu ligo para o senhor amanhã. |
Respectful speech also tends to use softer verbs: poderia instead of pode, and aceita ("would you accept") for offers. Senta aí uses the casual imperative that most Brazilians use with você. Sente-se is the textbook form.
Common mistakes
- Using o senhor with people your age. It can make them feel old. A common joking reply is Senhor está no céu! ("The Lord is in heaven!"), meaning "Just call me você."
- Using você with elderly strangers. It isn't rude, but o senhor and a senhora sound much more respectful, especially outside big cities.
- Using você in Portugal. It can come across as blunt. Use tu with friends and o senhor / a senhora, or the person's name, with others.
- Mixing tu with the wrong verb in writing. Tu vai is normal in casual Brazilian speech, but in writing, tu takes tu vais.
- Leaving seu or sua ambiguous. Sua casa can mean "your house" or "his/her house". Brazilians often say a casa dele ("his house") or a casa da senhora to be clear.
FAQ
Is você formal or informal?
In Brazil, it's neutral. It's the everyday "you" with almost everyone, and it isn't rude. For extra respect, use o senhor or a senhora. In Portugal, você is less common and can sound impolite face to face.
Should I use tu in Brazil?
Only if you're in a region where people use it and you want to blend in. Você is understood and accepted everywhere in Brazil.
How should I address older people in Brazil?
Use o senhor or a senhora, or Seu and Dona with their first name, until they tell you to use você. Many people will say Pode me chamar de você ("You can call me você").
Is a senhora rude to a younger woman?
In formal service, like a bank or a hotel, it's normal and polite. In casual situations, it can make someone feel older than they are, so você is usually better with women your age.
What's different in Portugal?
Tu is the normal informal form with second-person verbs, and você is often avoided face to face. Formal speech uses o senhor / a senhora, titles, or the person's name with a third-person verb.