Hey there!
Our Dica today will teach you how to write an email in Portuguese. Let’s see some models of informal and formal emails.
How to write an email in Portuguese
The tricky part about writing an email in Portuguese is how to start and how to finish it. Lucky you we have the words you need right here. Notice that some words are used in a formal email and others are used in an informal email. Check them out:
Start an email in Portuguese
| E aí, … | What’s up, … | Very Informal |
| Fala, … | Hey, … | Very informal |
| Oi, … | Hi, … | Less formal |
| Olá, … | Hello, … | Less formal |
| Querido(a) … | Dear … | Less formal |
| Saudações, … | Greetings, … | Less formal |
| Caro(a) … | Dear … | Formal |
| Prezado(a) … | Dear … | Formal |
| Caro(a) Senhor(a) … | Dear Mr. / Ms. … | Very Formal |
| Prezado(a) Senhor(a) … | Dear Mr. / Ms. … | Very Formal |
You can also start your emails by greeting according to the time of the day. In this case, it’s recommended to use Bom dia, Boa tarde or Boa noite.
Finish an email in Portuguese
| Bj / Bjs / Beijos | Kisses | Very Informal |
| Abs / Abraços | Hugs | Very informal |
| Valeu | Bye bye | Very informal |
| Tchau | Goodbye | Less formal |
| Até logo | See you later | Less formal |
| Até breve | See you soon | Less formal |
| Grato | Thank you | Formal |
| Desde já, agradeço | Thanks in advance | Formal |
| Sempre às ordens | At your disposal | Formal |
| Att / Atenciosamente | Regards | Very Formal |
| Cordialmente | Sincerely | Very Formal |
Easy to remember, right? We’ll see some examples and check how to use some of those. Let’s begin with an example of Pablo’s email to his friend Marcio. Take a look:
Informal email to a friend
De: Pablo
Data: terça-feira, 13 de maio de 2014 13:45
Para: Marcio
Assunto: As férias
E aí, Marcio!
Tudo tranquilo?
Então, acabei de voltar de férias e tenho uma ótima sugestão de viagem pra você.
Eu viajei prum lugar muito legal chamado Ouro Preto, em Minas Gerais, e vi muitas coisas interessantes. Tenho uma tia que mora lá e ela me mostrou coisas muito bonitas, tipo as Igrejas Católicas do Século XVII.
Minha tia é professora e trabalha numa escola para crianças no centro da cidade. Ela me levou para conhecer a escola e eu me amarrei.
A visita foi show e tirei varias fotos. Te mando em anexo. Cê vai adorar!
E você? Curtiu bem as férias? O que você fez?
Bem, as aulas retornam na próxima semana. A gente se encontra na escola.
Um abraço, cara!
Valeu!
Pablo
Anexo:
Translation of the informal email to a friend
From: Pablo
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 1:45 PM
To: Marcio
Subject: Vacation
What’s up, Marcio!
How you doing?
So, I just returned from my vacation and I have a great suggestion of a trip for you.
I traveled to a very cool place called Ouro Preto, in Minas Gerais, and I saw many interesting things. I have an aunt who lives there and she showed me really beautiful things, like the Catholic Churches of the 17th Century.
My aunt is a teacher and she works in an elementary school downtown. She took me to see her school and I just loved it.
The visit was awesome and I took lots of pictures. I’m sending them attached. Ya gonna love it!
How about you? Did you enjoy your vacation? What did you do?
Well, classes start again next week. We’ll see each other at school.
Big hug, dude!
See ya!
Pablo
Attachment:
We can notice that it’s a very informal email, isn’t it?
Now, let’s take a look at some words we use to make our email more informal.
Informal words for email in Portuguese
| Tudo tranquilo? | How you doing? |
| Então | So |
| Pra | For |
| Prum | To a |
| Legal | Cool |
| Tipo | Like |
| Numa | in a |
| Me amarrei | I loved it |
| Show | Awesome |
| Te mando em anexo | I’m sending attached |
| Cê | You |
| Curtir | To enjoy |
| Cara | Dude |
Now, let’s see an example of formal email from an employee to his boss.
Formal E-mail
De: João P. Mendes
Data: terça-feira, 13 de maio de 2014 13:45
Para: Sr. Lopes
Assunto: Retorno ao trabalho
Prezado Senhor Lopes,
Espero que este e-mail o encontre bem.
Venho por meio deste a fim de comunicar-lhe sobre meu retorno ao trabalho na próxima semana.
Estava viajando durante as férias e isso me impossibilitou de responder alguns dos e-mails que foram enviados para mim.
Aproveito para confirmar se ainda teremos a reunião marcada em nosso calendário para a próxima terça-feira para discutirmos alguns assuntos tais como a questão da equipe de vendas e logística da filial da nossa empresa no Rio de Janeiro. Segue em anexo a pauta da reunião.
Aguardarei sua resposta.
Até logo!
Atenciosamente,
João P. Mendes
Translation of formal email
From: João P. Mendes
Date: Tuesday, Mays 13th, 2014 13:45
To: Mr. Lopes
Subject: Returning to work
Dear Mister Lopes,
I hope this email finds you well.
I hereby communicate to you about my return to work next week.
I was travelling during my vacation and was therefore unable to answer some of the emails that were sent to me. I will seize this opportunity to confirm whether we will still have the meeting, scheduled on our calendar for next Tuesday, in order to discuss matters such as the sales team and our branch logistics in Rio de Janeiro. Find attached the guidelines for the meeting.
I’ll be looking forward to receiving your answer.
So long!
Best regards,
João P. Mendes
Formal words for email in Portuguese
| Venho por meio deste | I hereby |
| Informar-lhe, comunicar-lhe | Inform; communicate |
| Para (o, os, a, as, um, uns, uma, umas) | To (the, a, an, some) |
| Tal qual, tal como, como | Such as |
| Aproveitar | Seize the opportunity |
| Segue em anexo | Find attached |
All set, guys?
Now you know how to write an email in Portuguese in a formal and informal way.
We’ll see you on our next A Dica do Dia!
Hugs from Rio & Learn!
Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Portuguese Sentence Structure
Greetings and Farewells in Portuguese
Portuguese Informal Phrases
Brazilian slang Valeu!
