The Complete Brazilian Portuguese B1 Vocabulary Guide
You have the A2 grammar. You can tell stories in the past, handle reflexive verbs, and get around a Brazilian city. Now comes the part that most learners skip: the subjunctive mood, the connectors that make arguments work, the formal register for writing emails, and the idiomatic speech that makes you sound like you actually live in Brazil.
B1 covers around 1,500 words and structures, and they are not all the same weight. This guide focuses on the ones that matter most: the Subjuntivo Presente and Imperfeito do Subjuntivo that Brazilians use in every opinion and hypothetical sentence, the discourse markers that separate halting speech from natural flow, and the society vocabulary you need to understand Brazilian news and conversation.
Each phase includes a ready-to-use AI prompt. Copy it into MindCards and build a focused deck around real Brazilian Portuguese B1 grammar and vocabulary. Spaced repetition schedules each card just before you would forget it, so you retain more with less time studying.
Phase 1: The Subjunctive Mood (Subjuntivo Presente)
The present subjunctive is where B1 starts to feel different from everything before it. At A2, you described things that happened and things that will happen. The subjunctive describes things that might happen, things you want, things you doubt, or things you feel emotions about. It shows up constantly in Brazilian spoken Portuguese, and you cannot sound natural without it.
The pattern in Brazilian Portuguese is QUERO + QUE + subjunctive: Quero que voce venha. Espero que ele chegue cedo. Nao acho que seja facil. These structures are not optional at B1 level. They come up in casual conversation, work emails, and every CELPE-Bras speaking task at this level.
Why start here? The subjunctive unlocks a whole register of Portuguese. Without it, opinions sound flat and wishes sound like commands.
The strategy: This deck focuses on 60 trigger verbs and expressions plus the irregular subjunctive forms Brazilians use most: ser (seja), ir (va), ter (tenha), and fazer (faca).
Generate 60 Brazilian Portuguese B1 present subjunctive (Subjuntivo Presente) examples. Cover: trigger verbs (querer, esperar, precisar, duvidar, gostar, recomendar, pedir, sugerir), impersonal expressions (e importante que, e preciso que, e possivel que, e melhor que), and doubt/emotion phrases. Include irregular forms: ser -> seja, ir -> va, ter -> tenha, fazer -> faca. Front: Portuguese sentence. Back: English + trigger type.
Phase 2: The Past Subjunctive (Imperfeito do Subjuntivo)
The past subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese handles hypotheticals and polite requests. The classic pattern is the conditional sentence: Se eu tivesse dinheiro, compraria uma casa. Brazilians also use it for softened requests: Queria que voce me ajudasse. It sounds more natural and less blunt than the direct present tense.
One thing worth knowing: Brazilians in casual speech often replace the past subjunctive with the Imperfeito Indicativo. Instead of Se eu fosse rico, you will hear Se eu era rico in informal Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo speech. Both forms appear in CELPE-Bras, but formal writing always uses the subjunctive version.
Why this next? Conditional sentences are one of the core CELPE-Bras B1 writing tasks. They also come up every time someone talks about wishes, regrets, or hypothetical plans.
The strategy: This deck pairs the past subjunctive with its common conditional triggers so you learn the full construction, not just isolated verb forms.
Generate 50 Brazilian Portuguese B1 past subjunctive (Imperfeito do Subjuntivo) examples. Cover: conditional sentences (Se eu tivesse, Se eu fosse, Se ela pudesse), polite requests (Queria que, Gostaria que, Preferia que), irregular forms (ser/ir -> fosse, ter -> tivesse, fazer -> fizesse, poder -> pudesse, querer -> quisesse). Front: Portuguese. Back: English + structure note.
Phase 3: Complex Connectors and Discourse Markers
At B1, the gap between A2 and real fluency is largely about how sentences connect. Using only e, mas, and porque gets you through A2. At B1, Brazilians reach for apesar de, mesmo assim, por isso, portanto, no entanto, embora, ainda que, and visto que. These words glue ideas together in a way that sounds educated and intentional.
Written Brazilian Portuguese leans on connectors more than spoken speech does, but many of these still show up in everyday talk. Embora is common in educated speech. Por isso is everywhere. Even informal Brazilians use apesar disso to concede a point. These are not just for CELPE-Bras essays.
Why this matters: Connector vocabulary signals fluency. Two learners with the same word count will sound completely different if one can chain ideas naturally.
The strategy: This deck organizes connectors by function: addition, contrast, cause/effect, concession, and sequence. One card per function group, with example sentences in Brazilian Portuguese.
Generate 60 Brazilian Portuguese B1 discourse connectors and cohesion markers. Organize by function: Addition (alem disso, tambem, por outro lado), Contrast (no entanto, contudo, apesar de, mesmo assim), Cause/Effect (por isso, portanto, devido a, por causa de), Concession (embora, ainda que, mesmo que), Sequence (em primeiro lugar, em seguida, por fim). Front: connector in context sentence. Back: English + function label.
Phase 4: Formal Register and Written Brazilian Portuguese
Formal Brazilian Portuguese has its own vocabulary set. Emails start with Prezado(a) or Caro(a), not Oi. Requests use Solicito que instead of Preciso que. Documents say conforme o combinado and segue em anexo. This register matters for the CELPE-Bras formal writing task and for anyone working in or with Brazilian organizations.
One peculiarity: Brazilian Portuguese formal writing is less stiff than European Portuguese formal writing. Brazilians soften formal emails with Espero que esteja bem and Fico a disposicao in a way that feels personal, not cold. The tone is professional but still warm. Knowing this distinction helps you calibrate whether you are overdoing the formality.
Why formal register now? CELPE-Bras B1 always includes at least one formal writing task. Office vocabulary also becomes relevant for anyone doing work in Brazil or with Brazilian colleagues.
The strategy: This deck covers email openings and closings, formal request structures, bureaucratic vocabulary, and the workplace phrases most commonly tested at B1.
Generate 70 Brazilian Portuguese B1 formal register words and phrases. Cover: formal email structure (Prezado, Caro, Solicito que, Informo que, Segue em anexo, Fico a disposicao, Atenciosamente), workplace vocabulary (reuniao, prazo, relatorio, orcamento, proposta, contrato, negociacao), bureaucratic terms (protocolo, requerimento, documentacao, comprovante), and formal connectors. Front: Portuguese. Back: English + register label (Formal/Workplace).
Phase 5: Opinion and Argumentation in Brazilian Portuguese
B1 opinion language goes well past Acho que and Na minha opiniao. At this level, Brazilians use Acredito que, Sou da opiniao de que, Discordo parcialmente, Concordo com o ponto de que, and E importante ressaltar que. These phrases appear in debates, essays, and any structured conversation about a topic.
Brazilian informal argumentation has its own texture too. People say Olha, nao e bem assim, or Depende muito de, or Cada caso e um caso. These are not academic phrases but they are what you hear in any discussion about politics, culture, or social issues. Both registers are tested at CELPE-Bras B1.
Why argumentation at B1? The jump from A2 to B1 in Portuguese is largely about being able to develop and defend a position, not just describe one.
The strategy: This deck mixes formal and informal opinion phrases, counter-argument markers, and concession structures so you can handle any discussion direction.
Generate 60 Brazilian Portuguese B1 opinion and argumentation phrases. Cover: stating views (Acredito que, Sou da opiniao de que, Entendo que), qualifying (Ate certo ponto, Depende muito de, Cada caso e um caso), conceding (Embora eu concorde que, E verdade que, mas), countering (Por outro lado, No entanto, Discordo porque), and emphasizing (E importante ressaltar que, Vale lembrar que, Nao podemos esquecer que). Front: Portuguese phrase in context. Back: English + function.
Phase 6: Brazilian Society and Current Affairs Vocabulary
At B1, you need the vocabulary to talk about what is actually happening in Brazil. Topics like desigualdade social, saude publica, educacao, meio ambiente, and politica appear in CELPE-Bras listening and reading passages. They also come up in any real conversation with Brazilians about their country.
Brazil has a rich vocabulary around specific social concepts. Cidadania, mobilidade social, comunidade, favela, Bolsa Familia, SUS, and vestibular are not vocabulary list words but actual referents in Brazilian daily life. Knowing these terms means you can understand the news and take part in conversations that most B1 learners are shut out of.
Why this matters: B1 is the level where you start reading Brazilian news and understanding what you hear on TV. This deck bridges grammar knowledge and real comprehension.
The strategy: This deck groups social vocabulary by theme: education, health, environment, and society. Sentences come from realistic Brazilian news contexts.
Generate 80 Brazilian Portuguese B1 words and phrases for society and current affairs. Cover: education (vestibular, ENEM, bolsa de estudos, ensino medio, faculdade particular), health (SUS, plano de saude, posto de saude, consulta, triagem), environment (desmatamento, queimadas, reciclagem, sustentabilidade), society (desigualdade, cidadania, comunidade, mobilidade social, renda per capita). Front: Portuguese term + context sentence. Back: English + domain.
Phase 7: Idiomatic Brazilian Portuguese and Natural Spoken Speech
The last gap between B1 and sounding natural in Brazil is idioms and spoken patterns. Brazilians use ta bom for agreement, que saudade to express missing something or someone, da um jeito meaning to figure something out, ficar com raiva for getting angry, and saudade itself, the famously untranslatable longing that comes up constantly. These are not optional extras: they are what fluency actually sounds like.
Regional variation matters here too. Sao Paulo speech uses cara and mano as address terms. Rio uses cara and bicho. Minas Gerais says uai. The Northeast uses oxe and visse. CELPE-Bras does not test regional dialects but understanding them is what turns correct Portuguese into natural Portuguese.
The milestone: With this deck, your B1 Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary is complete. You can navigate the subjunctive, connect ideas in writing and speech, handle formal register, argue a position, understand the news, and hold your own in a real Brazilian conversation. That is what B1 looks like.
Generate 60 Brazilian Portuguese B1 idiomatic expressions and natural speech patterns. Cover: common idioms (dar um jeito, ter saudade, ficar com raiva, por acaso, de jeito nenhum, cada vez mais), colloquial address terms (cara, mano, gente), agreement and reaction words (ta bom, com certeza, que isso, que saudade, nossa), and informal intensifiers (super, mega, muito mesmo, demais). Front: Portuguese expression. Back: English meaning + usage note.
Why flashcards work for Brazilian Portuguese B1 vocabulary
B1 vocabulary involves a lot of form-plus-context pairs: subjunctive triggers, connector functions, register distinctions. These are exactly the kind of items that benefit from active recall and spaced repetition. MindCards schedules reviews at the interval where your brain is about to forget, which is when retrieval practice does the most work.
Building your full Portuguese path
B1 vocabulary sits between the A2 grammar foundation and C1 fluency. Use the links below to move between levels or return to the full Portuguese guide.
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