Introduction
Learning location words in Brazilian Portuguese helps beginners communicate where they live, study, and work. This guide focuses on common vocabulary and practical example sentences for home, school, and work settings, with clear English explanations and realistic usage for everyday conversations.
- Basic location words to know
- Location words for home (casa)
- Location words for school (escola)
- Location words for work (trabalho)
- Prepositions with places — quick reference
- Common mistakes beginners make
- Mini practice dialogue — home, school, work
- Short exercises for beginners
- Practical daily scenarios
- Resources and next steps
- Conclusion
Basic location words to know
Start with common prepositions and place nouns. These small words appear everywhere and are essential for saying where something or someone is.
em — in, at, on
no — contraction of em + o (in the, at the; masculine)
na — contraction of em + a (in the, at the; feminine)
perto de — near
longe de — far from
ao lado de — next to
entre — between
em frente de — in front of
atrás de — behind
Location words for home (casa)
At home, use simple nouns and prepositions. Learn rooms and common household locations to describe where things and people are.
casa — house, home
apartamento — apartment
sala — living room
cozinha — kitchen
quarto — bedroom
banheiro — bathroom
varanda — balcony
garagem — garage
Examples for home
Eu moro em um apartamento.
Translation: I live in an apartment.
O cachorro está na sala.
Translation: The dog is in the living room.
As chaves estão na cozinha, em cima da mesa.
Translation: The keys are in the kitchen, on top of the table.
Meu quarto fica ao lado do banheiro.
Translation: My bedroom is next to the bathroom.
O carro está na garagem, atrás da casa.
Translation: The car is in the garage, behind the house.
Beginner tips for home vocabulary
Label items at home with sticky notes using the Portuguese word. For example, write porta on the door and janela on a window. Practice short sentences that describe where things are, such as O controle está na mesa.
Location words for school (escola)
School vocabulary helps with directions, schedules, and daily interactions. Learn rooms, staff titles, and common phrases you will use on campus.
escola — school
universidade — university
sala de aula — classroom
biblioteca — library
laboratório — laboratory
cantina — cafeteria
pátio — courtyard, playground
secretaria — office (administration)
professor / professora — teacher
Examples for school
A reunião é na sala de aula 12.
Translation: The meeting is in classroom 12.
Eu deixei o livro na biblioteca.
Translation: I left the book in the library.
O laboratório de química fica no segundo andar.
Translation: The chemistry lab is on the second floor.
Vamos nos encontrar no pátio às 10h.
Translation: Let’s meet in the courtyard at 10 AM.
Você pode pegar o formulário na secretaria.
Translation: You can pick up the form at the office.
Common signs and short messages at school
Proibido fumar — No smoking
Horário de atendimento: 9h–17h — Office hours: 9 AM–5 PM
Emprestar livros: levar documento — To borrow books: bring ID
Location words for work (trabalho)
Workplace vocabulary varies by job, but common location words and phrases help you navigate an office, factory, or store. Learn how to say where departments, meetings, and colleagues are located.
trabalho — work, job
escritório — office
sala de reunião — meeting room
recepção — reception
setor — department
andando / andar — floor (building level)
elevador — elevator
escada — staircase
Examples for work
Meu escritório fica no terceiro andar.
Translation: My office is on the third floor.
A reunião com o cliente será na sala de reunião B.
Translation: The meeting with the client will be in meeting room B.
Deixe o documento na recepção.
Translation: Leave the document at reception.
O departamento de vendas está entre o RH e o financeiro.
Translation: The sales department is between HR and finance.
Vou subir pela escada, o elevador está ocupado.
Translation: I will go up by the stairs, the elevator is busy.
Practical workplace phrases and polite directions
Onde fica a copa?
Translation: Where is the break room?
O banheiro está no corredor à direita.
Translation: The bathroom is in the hallway on the right.
Posso deixar minhas coisas aqui?
Translation: Can I leave my things here?
Prepositions with places — quick reference
Understanding contractions is crucial. Portuguese commonly combines em with the definite article.
em + o = no — use before masculine singular nouns: no escritório, no carro
em + a = na — use before feminine singular nouns: na escola, na cozinha
When saying I am at home use em casa (no article). Example: Estou em casa.
Common mistakes beginners make
Be aware of gender agreement and contractions. Saying em a escola is incorrect; use na escola. Likewise, em o carro should be no carro.
Beginners often forget articles. For instance, say Estou no trabalho not Estou trabalho.
Preposition choice matters. Use em or contractions for locations; do not translate literally from English. For example, say Vou para a escola for going to school, and Estou na escola for being at school.
Mini practice dialogue — home, school, work
Ana: Onde você está?
João: Estou na escola.
Ana: E seu pai?
João: Ele está no trabalho.
Practice this short exchange aloud. Swap names and places to build confidence. Replace na escola with em casa or no escritório to vary practice.
Short exercises for beginners
Exercise 1: Translate these into Portuguese. 1) The keys are on the table. 2) She is in the kitchen. 3) The meeting is in room 5.
Suggested answers: 1) As chaves estão na mesa. 2) Ela está na cozinha. 3) A reunião é na sala 5.
Exercise 2: Fill the blank with no or na. 1) Eu estou ___ biblioteca. 2) O carro está ___ garagem. 3) Ele trabalha ___ universidade.
Suggested answers: 1) na biblioteca 2) na garagem 3) na universidade (note university is feminine)
Practical daily scenarios
Scenario: Asking for directions. If you need to find a place, useful phrases include: Como chego à escola? or Onde fica o escritório? Another useful phrase is É longe daqui? meaning Is it far from here?
Scenario: Leaving a note. A simple note for a roommate: Fui ao supermercado. Volto às 18h. Translation: I went to the supermarket. I will return at 6 PM.
Scenario: At work reception. If someone asks where to leave a package, say Por favor, deixe na recepção. Translation: Please leave it at reception.
Resources and next steps
Practice by labeling and creating short sentences for each environment: home, school, work. Record yourself and compare to native examples. Use flashcards for prepositions with no/na and common place nouns.
When ready, expand to direction verbs like entrar (to enter), sair (to leave), subir (to go up), and descer (to go down). Combine them with locations: subir para o escritório, sair da escola.
Conclusion
Mastering basic location words for home, school, and work gives beginners useful tools for everyday communication in Brazilian Portuguese. Focus on common nouns, prepositions, contractions like no and na, and practice short, realistic sentences to gain confidence quickly.
