Yes/no questions and short answers

You already know the easy part: to ask a yes/no question, take a statement and let your voice rise at the end. Você fala inglês. → Você fala inglês? ↗ No "do," no flipping the sentence, no new verb forms. Done.

The real art of this lesson is the answer — because Brazilians usually don't just say "sim."

The Brazilian "Yes": echo the verb

Instead of sim, grab the verb from the question and send it back — conjugated to you:

Daily Service Interactions

• "Aceita cartão?" "Aceito." (Do you take cards? — We do.)

• "Tem troco?" "Não tenho." (Do you have change? — I don't.)

• "Está aberto?" "Está." (Is it open? — It is.)

• "Pode parcelar?" "Pode." (Can I pay in installments? — You can.)

Making Plans

• "Você vai na festa?" "Vou." (Are you going to the party? — I am.)

• "Quer carona?" "Quero!" (Want a ride? — I do!)

• "Vamos juntos?" "Vamos." (Shall we go together? — Let's.)

• "Pode ser amanhã?" "Pode." (Can it be tomorrow? — It can.)

"Obrigado" can mean "no thanks"

Offered something you don't want? A simple obrigado / obrigada — often with a little wave — means no, thank you, not yes:

• "Aceita um cafezinho?" → "Obrigada." (= No, thanks.)

• To accept, be clear: "Aceito, obrigada!" or "Pode ser!"

Modals flip the person

The verb echoes the real doer, so a modal answer often switches person:

• "Posso entrar?" → "Pode." (you ask about yourself → I tell you "you can")

• "Você pode me ajudar?" → "Posso." (you ask about me → "I can")

Saying "no" gently

A flat Não. can sound harsh. Soften it: "Não, obrigado," "Hoje não," "Agora não dá" (can't right now), "Acho que não."

One of Brazilian Portuguese's loveliest little traps: Pois não? means "Yes? How can I help you?" — an affirmative, even though não is sitting right there in it. It's worn down from the old phrase pois não havia de (roughly "as if I wouldn't"), so when a shopkeeper greets you with pois não, relax — it's a warm "of course."

Sources: Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa, Rio & Learn