The subject pronouns
| Portuguese | English | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| eu | I | yourself |
| tu | you (singular informal) | friends, family, children, peers |
| ele | he | male person |
| ela | she | female person |
| nós | we | I + others |
| vocês | you (plural) | any group of people — the normal plural 'you' |
| eles | they (masc./mixed) | male or mixed groups |
| elas | they (fem.) | all-female groups |
Remember: subject pronouns are frequently dropped — the verb ending carries the information. Falas português? = "Do you (tu) speak Portuguese?"
tu — the everyday informal you
tu is common in informal situations in Portugal: friends, family, colleagues you're on first-name terms with, children, and casual encounters between younger people. When you use tu, the verb takes its own second-person ending: tu falas, tu comes, tu abres.
Using tu with a stranger in a formal setting can feel too familiar — that's where the next section comes in.
você — not the universal polite 'you'
Many textbooks teach você as simply "the polite you" — that's a Brazilian-leaning simplification. In Portugal, você exists but its social tone is context-sensitive: to some people it can sound oddly blunt or even dismissive, like calling someone "you" with a hint of distance.
What do Portuguese speakers actually do for polite address?
- Third-person forms — address using o senhor / a senhora ("the gentleman/lady"), or the person's name or role: O senhor quer café? ("Would you like coffee?", literally "Does the gentleman want coffee?").
- Just the verb, no pronoun — very common: Quer café? or Pode ajudar-me? with third-person endings and no pronoun at all. Neutral and safe.
- tu when the situation is clearly informal.
| Situation | Natural choice | Portuguese | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friend, same age | tu | Queres café? | Want coffee? |
| Waiter / shop, politely neutral | 3rd-person verb, no pronoun | Pode trazer a conta? | Can you bring the bill? |
| Elderly stranger, clearly polite | o senhor / a senhora | O senhor precisa de ajuda? | Do you need help, sir? |
| Any group | vocês | Vocês falam inglês? | Do you (pl.) speak English? |
vocês — the safe plural
Good news: the plural is easy. vocês is the normal plural 'you' in most everyday contexts — formal or informal: Vocês têm mesa? ("Do you have a table?", to a group). No social nuance to worry about.
vós exists historically and regionally (older, northern, and formal/liturgical speech) but it is not a beginner default — you'll recognise it, you won't need to produce it.
Polite lines you'll actually use
Desculpe, pode ajudar-me?
Sorry, can you help me?
No pronoun — neutral polite.
O senhor é daqui?
Are you from here, sir?
Third-person address.
Queres uma água?
Do you want some water? (tu, informal)
Vocês podem sentar-se aqui.
You (plural) can sit here.
Isto é para si.
This is for you.
para si — the polite 'you' object form; 'consigo' = 'with you'.
Com licença.
Excuse me (passing through).
Mini practice
Q1. In Portugal, 'tu' is appropriate for…
- everyone, always
- informal situations
- only children
Answer: informal situations
Q2. 'você' in Portugal is best described as…
- the universal polite you
- context-sensitive — not a safe default
- always rude
Answer: context-sensitive — not a safe default
Q3. The safest polite address with no pronoun is…
- tu-forms
- third-person verb alone
- vós
Answer: third-person verb alone
Q4. Normal plural 'you' in everyday Portugal is…
- vós
- vocês
- eles
Answer: vocês
Q5. 'O senhor quer café?' literally means…
- The gentleman wants coffee?
- Do you (sir) want coffee? — 3rd-person polite address
- He wants coffee
Answer: Do you (sir) want coffee? — 3rd-person polite address
