Portuguese · A1 (Beginner)
Work in Portuguese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Portuguese words for work are o trabalho (the work / job), o escritório (the office) and o chefe / a chefe (the boss). The full Portuguese work phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Portuguese vocabulary for work, with example sentences and English translations. This is A1 (Beginner) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Portuguese to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key work vocabulary
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| o trabalho | the work / job |
| o escritório | the office |
| o chefe / a chefe | the boss |
| o/a colega | the colleague |
| trabalhar | to work |
| o cargo | the job / position |
| o salário | the salary |
| a reunião | the meeting |
| o computador | the computer |
| as horas extras | overtime |
Example sentences
Vou ao trabalho de metro.
I go to work by metro.
Trabalho num escritório no centro.
I work in an office in the city centre.
O meu chefe é muito exigente.
My boss is very demanding.
Os meus colegas são simpáticos.
My colleagues are nice.
Trabalho das nove às seis.
I work from nine to six.
Tenho uma reunião às duas.
I have a meeting at two.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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