Learn 55 Professions in Portuguese

O que você faz? What do you do? This is a common conversation topic when we meet people. Learn how to say your profession in Portuguese, so you can engage in conversations with your Brazilian friends and coworkers. This Portuguese lesson presents 55 professions in Portuguese.

Saying professions is Portuguese

Here are 2 things to keep in mind when talking about professions in Portuguese:

1. We use the verb Ser (not estar) to say what our profession is.
2. We do not use an article in front of the profession as we do in English when we say what we do. Notice in the examples below that I do not say “eu sou uma professora”.

Here are examples to help you learn how to talk about professions in Portuguese:

1. O que você faz? = What do you do?

2. Eu sou professora. E você? = I am a teacher. And you?

3. Eu sou jogadora de futebol. = I am a soccer player.

4. Eu sou diretor de marketing. = I am director of marketing.

5. Márcia é empreendedora. = Márcia is an entrepreneur.

6. Você é médico? = Are you a physician?

7. Nós somos comissários de bordo. = We are flight attendants.

8. Carlos e Henrique são atores. = Carlos and Henrique are actors.

9. Vocês são estudantes. = You are students.

As I said before, we do not use the articles “um” or “uma” before our profession when we are saying what we do for a living. 

However, you need the indefinite article (um, uma) when you are expressing a fact or qualifying someone’s professional ability. 

For example:

1. Ângela é uma ótima dentista. = Ângela is a great dentist.

2. José é um péssimo gerente. = José is a terrible manager.

3. Gilberto Gil é um cantor muito famoso. = Gilberto Gil is a very famous actor.

55 Professions in Portuguese

I indicate the professions that have a masculine and a feminine version below.

Words than end in ista apply for both men and for women. Although they end in “a”, they work for men too.

The list below is in alphabetical order with the English word first.

I have recorded an audio file in which I say the professions below and give you pronunciation tips, so you can say these words with confidence.

EN – PT

1. accountant = contador/a
2. actor/actress = ator/atriz
3. architect = arquiteto/a
4. artist = artista
5. ballet dancer = bailarino/a
6. bank teller = bancário/a
7. bus driver = motorista de ônibus
8. carpenter = marceneiro/a
9. chef = chefe de cozinha
10. coach (sports) = técnico
11. consultant = consultor/a
12. cook = cozinheiro/a
13. dancer = dançarino/a
14. dentist = dentista
15. director = diretor/a
16. doctor/physician = médico/a
17. doorman, doorwoman = porteiro/a
18. electrician = eletricista
19. engineer = engenheiro/a
20. entrepreneur = empreendedor/a
21. firefighter = bombeiro/a
22. flight attendant = comissário/a de bordo
23. hair stylist = cabeleireiro/a
24. house cleaner = faxineiro/a
25. janitor = zelador/a
26. journalist = jornalista
27. lawyer = advogado/a
28. manager = gerente
29. manicurist = manicure
30. mechanic = mecânico/a
31. nurse = enfermeiro/a
32. painter = pintor/a
33. pet trainer = adestrador/a
34. photographer = fotógrafo/a
35. pilot = piloto/a
36. plumber = encanador/a
37. police man/woman = policial
38. politician = político/a
39. programmer = programador/a
40. public servant = servidor público or funcionário público
41. real estate agent = agente imobiliário
42. receptionist = recepcionista
43. reporter = repórter
44. salesperson = vendedor/a
45. scientist = cientista
46. secretary = secretário/a
47. singer = cantor/a
48. soccer player = jogador/a de futebol
49. student = estudante
50. taxi driver = motorista de táxi, taxista
51. teacher/professor = professor/a
52. tour guide = guia de turismo
53. travel agent = agente de viagens
54. waiter/waitress = garçom/garçonete
55. writer = escritor/a

In addition, here are a couple of bonus words. They are not exactly professions, but are also useful to know:

56. retired = aposentado/a
57. unemployed = desempregado/a

I have also created flashcards with professions in Portuguese. Check them out.

I hope this Portuguese lesson will help you have great conversations in Portuguese.