Sir in Portuguese

Hello there! Today, we’re gonna discuss how Brazilians use sir in Portuguese. We are well-known for being extremely informal, so you will see that once we are allowed to, most people will use the pronoun você. Do you know how to say madam in Portuguese?

How to Use Sir in Portuguese

We use the word senhor in formal situations. For example, in a business meeting, the president uses senhor when he talks to other representatives. However, he would use você during an informal meeting.

We also use senhor in Portuguese to show a certain respect for another person, either due to his age, or in order to establish a professional relationship. For example: a taxi driver, a pharmacist, a waiter, a receptionist, a porter, etc. will refer to their clients as senhor.

So, When Do We Use Você?

For Brazilians, changing a situation from formal to informal is very easy. Informality is a natural characteristic of the Brazilian culture and Brazilians are far more comfortable working together within an informal environment. That’s why it’s very common for us to use você in many different situations. Some good examples are: talking to friends, coworkers, family members and classmates.

If you are still in doubt about the use of formal and informal situations in Portuguese, you can always come study Portuguese online with us! Our teachers are highly trained to help you out!

Pronunciation for Sir and Madam in Portuguese

Notice that the word senhor varies according to gender and number:

Senhor	Sir / Mr.
Senhores	Gentlemen
Senhora	Madam / Mrs. / Ms.
Senhoras	Ladies
Senhorita	Miss
Senhoritas	Misses

Exercises for Senhor in Portuguese

And you? In what situation would you use senhor and você? Check the options:

1. Falando com seu avô (__________)
2. Falando com sua namorada (__________)
3. Falando com seu animal de estimação (__________)
4. Falando com o seu professor da Rio & Learn (__________)
5. Falando com uma mulher de 85 anos (__________)
6. Falando com o amigo do seu amigo (__________)
7. Falando com um desconhecido na rua (__________)
8. Falando com o motorista do Uber (__________)

That’s all! Now we know the use of senhor, senhora and você in Portuguese! How are you feeling? Remember to leave us a comment telling if you prefer to use senhor or você in your daily life!

Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Portuguese Personal Pronouns
Portuguese Object Pronouns
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Answers

1. Senhor
2. Você
3. Você
4. Você (we are very informal here!)
5. Senhora
6. Você
7. Senhor
8. Você