Introduction
Learning how to say simple prices in Brazilian Portuguese gives beginners the confidence to shop, order food, and handle everyday transactions. This article explains numbers, currency words, common price phrases, pronunciation tips, and realistic example dialogues so you can communicate prices clearly and understand price tags and menus.
- Basics: Brazilian currency and number words
- How to say whole reais and cents
- Short practical phrases for shopping and menus
- Realistic example dialogues
- Beginner tips for confident pronunciation
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Practice exercises for beginners
- More realistic examples you’ll encounter
- Conclusion
Basics: Brazilian currency and number words
First, know the currency name and the most useful number words. In Brazil the currency is the real, plural reais. For beginners, focus on numbers 0 to 100 and the words for cents.
real — the singular currency unit used in prices
reais — the plural of real used for amounts greater than one
centavo — singular cent (rarely used in speech; people often say centavos)
centavos — plural of centavo; used for amounts less than one real
Common number words:
0 zero
1 um / uma
2 dois / duas
3 três
4 quatro
5 cinco
6 seis
7 sete
8 oito
9 nove
10 dez
11 onze
12 doze
13 treze
14 quatorze
15 quinze
16 dezesseis
17 dezessete
18 dezoito
19 dezenove
20 vinte
30 trinta
40 quarenta
50 cinquenta
60 sessenta
70 setenta
80 oitenta
90 noventa
100 cem / cento
How to say whole reais and cents
Portuguese expresses prices by separating reais and centavos. For whole numbers you usually say the number plus reais or real. For amounts with cents, say the reais part, then the centavos part with a conjunction like e.
Structure examples:
[reais] real/reais
[reais] real/reais e [centavos] centavo/centavos
Examples:
dez reais — 10.00
um real — 1.00
dois reais — 2.00
cinquenta centavos — 0.50
um real e cinquenta centavos — 1.50
três reais e vinte centavos — 3.20
Notes on pronunciation and usage
Use um for masculine items and uma for feminine items when the number is describing a noun, but for prices you usually use the masculine um because real is masculine. When saying 100 alone use cem; use cento when combining with other numbers, for example cento e cinco for 105.
Decimal separators differ from English: Brazil uses a comma instead of a dot. So 3,50 is read as três reais e cinquenta centavos. In speech you do not say comma; you read the number components.
Short practical phrases for shopping and menus
Memorize these simple phrases to ask about prices and respond in shops, markets, and cafés.
Quanto custa? — How much does it cost?
Quanto é? — How much is it? (very common)
Quanto custa isso? — How much does this cost?
Quanto é isso? — How much is this?
Está quanto? — How much is it? (informal, often used in markets)
É caro — It’s expensive
É barato — It’s cheap
Posso pagar com cartão? — Can I pay with card?
Você aceita cartão? — Do you accept card?
Você aceita dinheiro? — Do you accept cash?
Realistic example dialogues
Short practice dialogues help you hear natural phrasing. Read them aloud and imitate rhythm and intonation.
Shop, fruit stall:
Cliente: Quanto custa a manga?
Feirante: Três reais a unidade.
Cliente: Posso levar duas?
Feirante: São seis reais no total.
Café:
Cliente: Quanto é um pão de queijo?
Atendente: Dois reais cada.
Cliente: Vou querer três, por favor.
Atendente: Três pães de queijo, seis reais. Vai pagar em dinheiro ou cartão?
Bakery prices with cents:
Cliente: Quanto custa a empada?
Atendente: Um real e cinquenta centavos.
Cliente: Certo, uma empada e um suco, por favor.
Atendente: O suco é dois reais e vinte centavos. No total, três reais e setenta centavos.
Reading price tags and menus
Price formats you will see:
R$ 5,00 = cinco reais
R$ 1,50 = um real e cinquenta centavos
R$ 0,50 = cinquenta centavos
Sometimes menus show only numbers like 8,90 — read as oito reais e noventa centavos. If you see a single number like 3, interpret it as reais if context is food or items; but a decimal comma usually appears when cents are included.
Beginner tips for confident pronunciation
Tip 1: Stress the correct syllable in numbers. Many learners drop vowel sounds. For example, say três (one syllable but nasal), cinquenta (cin-QUEN-ta), and quinze (QUIN-ze).
Tip 2: Practice um real as a short phrase. Many Brazilians drop the final m sound slightly, making it sound like oo(n).
Tip 3: Use the conjunction e between reais and centavos. Say dois reais e cinquenta centavos clearly; skipping e can confuse listeners.
Tip 4: Mimic local intonation. Questions like Quanto custa end with a rising tone. Statements like Custa três reais end flat or falling.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake 1: Saying the decimal dot like in English. Avoid saying point or dot. Use the two-part structure reais e centavos or read the comma-separated number as separate parts.
Mistake 2: Using dólar or other currency names. Always use real/reais in Brazilian context unless discussing currency exchange.
Mistake 3: Gender mismatch with um/uma for prices. For monetary amounts use um real, not uma real. If attaching the number to a feminine noun, adjust the noun: uma garrafa por exemplo, but the price phrase usually remains um real, dois reais.
Mistake 4: Forgetting centavos for small amounts. 0,50 is cinquenta centavos, not zero reais cinquenta. Native speakers often say cinquenta centavos or meio real for 0,50 (see informal ways below).
Informal and useful shortcuts
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese people often use shortcuts you should recognize.
Meio real — half a real, 0,50.
Uma nota — a bill; although vague, context matters when talking about money.
Cem conto — slang for 100 reais in some regions; avoid using slang until comfortable with formality.
Pra quanto — informal for asking price, e.g., Pra quanto esse par? meaning How much for this pair?
Practice exercises for beginners
Exercise 1: Read price tags. Create a mock price list at home and practice saying each price aloud: R$ 2,00, R$ 4,50, R$ 15,90, R$ 0,25.
Exercise 2: Role-play with a partner. One person asks Quanto custa? and the other replies with a price. Swap roles and include payment questions like Aceita cartão?
Exercise 3: Listen and repeat. Find short audio clips of Brazilian markets or cafés and repeat key price phrases. Focus on e between reais and centavos.
Quick reference: common price phrases
Quanto custa? — How much does it cost?
Quanto é? — How much is it?
Quanto custa isso? — How much does this cost?
Quanto é isso? — How much is this?
É caro — It’s expensive
É barato — It’s cheap
Posso pagar com cartão? — Can I pay with card?
São [amount] reais — It’s [amount] reais
More realistic examples you’ll encounter
Street food: Pastel por R$ 6,00 ou dois por R$ 10,00. This means one pastel costs seis reais, two cost dez reais. The vendor may say Dois por dez reais.
Public transport: Single bus fare might be listed as R$ 4,40 — read quatro reais e quarenta centavos. Ticket machines often display numbers with a comma.
Small change: If you pay with a 10-real note and the price is R$ 3,70 the vendor will say O troco é seis reais e trinta centavos or simply O troco é 6,30 — practice hearing troco for change.
Conclusion
Confidently saying simple prices in Brazilian Portuguese comes down to learning the currency words, mastering numbers through 100, using the structure reais e centavos, and practicing realistic phrases for shops and cafés. Use the sample dialogues and short exercises to build muscle memory, and soon asking Quanto custa? and understanding price tags will feel natural.
