Obrigado.

thank you (said by a man)

Questions & Answers about Obrigado.

Why is it obrigado and not obrigada?

This depends on the speaker’s gender, not the gender of the person being thanked.

• A man usually says obrigado
• A woman usually says obrigada

That is because obrigado/obrigada originally behaves like an adjective meaning something like obliged or thankful.

So:

• If you are male: Obrigado
• If you are female: Obrigada

Can I say obrigado all by itself?

Yes. Obrigado. is a complete, natural sentence in Brazilian Portuguese.

It is very commonly used on its own in everyday situations, just like saying Thanks. in English.

You can also make it longer if you want:

• Muito obrigado. = Thank you very much.
• Obrigado mesmo. = Thanks a lot / Really thank you.
• Obrigado pela ajuda. = Thanks for the help.

How do Brazilians pronounce obrigado?