Muito obrigado / muito obrigada
MWEEN-too oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-duh
How to say itPart of: Thanks
“Thank you very much.”
Muito obrigado is the everyday “thanks a lot” in Brazil: muito (very) in front of obrigado. Like obrigado, it agrees with the speaker, not the person thanked: a man says muito obrigado, a woman muito obrigada. Warmer than obrigado on its own, and never too formal.
Looking for all the ways to say thank you? Thank you in Portuguese: the guide
EverydayAll Brazilalso: mto obrigado, muito obgReply: De nada.
How Brazilians use it
“Muito obrigada pela ajuda!”
“Thank you very much for the help!”
A woman thanking a friend.
“Muito obrigado, senhor.”
“Thank you very much, sir.”
A man thanking an older stranger.
“Muito obrigado a todos que vieram.”
“Thank you all very much for coming.”
Closing a speech or a post.
“Muito obrigada, viu?”
“Thanks a lot, OK?”
Warm and spoken; viu softens it.
In a real book
“— Muito obrigado; não me despeço do favor.”“ELE - Muito obrigado.”How to reply
- De nada.The textbook reply; always right.
- Imagina!The natural Brazilian one: “don’t mention it.”
- Eu que agradeço.“I’m the one who thanks you.”
Similar expressions
- Obrigado / obrigadaThe plain thank you; muito adds warmth.
- ObrigadãoInformal “thanks a million”; Brazil only.
- Muitíssimo obrigadoFormal, a little theatrical.
- ValeuCasual thanks between friends.
Brazil vs Portugal
The same words and the same rule in Portugal; the pronunciation clips the vowels (m’to ’brigad’). Portugal also says obrigadinho for a casual thanks, which Brazil does not.
Common mistakes
- Don’t say muito obrigada because you are thanking a woman: the ending follows the speaker.
- Don’t write mucho obrigado: mucho is Spanish; the Portuguese is muito.
- Don’t stress the wrong syllable: oh-bree-GAH-doo, and muito is “MWEEN-too”, with a nasal n.
Frequently asked questions
Is muito obrigado correct?
Yes. Muito obrigado (a man) and muito obrigada (a woman) are the normal way to say thank you very much in Brazil and Portugal. Muito means “very”, so it simply strengthens obrigado.
How do you respond to muito obrigado?
De nada is always right. Brazilians more often say imagina! (“don’t mention it”), que isso!, não foi nada or eu que agradeço (“I’m the one who thanks you”).
What does muito obrigado mean in English?
Thank you very much. Literally “very obliged”: obrigado is an old past participle meaning obliged, which is why it changes with the speaker’s gender.
Is it muito obrigado or muito obrigada?
It depends on who is speaking, not who is thanked. A man says muito obrigado, a woman says muito obrigada, whoever they are talking to.