How to Introduce Yourself & Ask Where You Are From in Portuguese

Reflexive Verbs: Chamar-se

To say your name, Portuguese uses the reflexive verb chamar-se (literally "to call oneself"):

• Chamo-me Sarah. (I call myself Sarah.)
• Chamas-te João? (Are you called João? — informal)
• Chama-se Ana. (She is called Ana. / You are called Ana — formal.)

Note the word order: in European Portuguese the pronoun comes after the verb, joined by a hyphen — chamo-me, never "me chamo" (that order is Brazilian in a sentence like this).

Origins: Ser + de

To say where you are from, use the verb ser + de:

• "Sou de Inglaterra." (I am from England.)
• "És de Lisboa?" (Are you from Lisbon?)

Nationalities work like adjectives and agree with your gender:

• Sou americano. / Sou americana. (I am American.)
• Sou português. / Sou portuguesa. (I am Portuguese.)

Formal and Informal Come in Pairs

Every introduction question has a tu version and a formal version — learn them together:

• "Como te chamas?" ↔ "Como se chama?" (What's your name?)
• "De onde és?" ↔ "De onde é?" (Where are you from?)
• "Onde moras?" ↔ "Onde mora?" (Where do you live?)

With strangers, officials, and anyone older, default to the formal column — Portuguese people will invite you to switch with "Podes tratar-me por tu." (You can call me tu.)