“Let’s go” in Portuguese: what vamos means, and why fans shout it

TL;DR: “Let’s go!” in Portuguese is “vamos!” This chant of encouragement is commonly used in football and comes from the Portuguese verb “ir”, meaning “to go”. In Brazil and Portugal, you will hear “vamos” in everyday speech as well as in sporting contexts. However, during football events, fans often add repetition, a team name, or other words of encouragement. This makes the chant more memorable and has meant it’s become typically associated with sporting events.

This guide covers what vamos actually means, where it comes from, and why it has become the standard shout in Portuguese football. It also covers força, the phrase fans use alongside it and the one most guides leave out, a table of the other chants you will hear, and how Portuguese punctuation differs from Spanish when you write them down.

What does "vamos" mean in Portuguese?

“Vamos” comes from the verb “ir”, meaning “to go”. The verb is irregular and turns up constantly in everyday Portuguese. Memrise teaches these high-frequency verbs as whole phrases rather than simply presenting conjugation tables, so you learn vamos alongside something you would actually say.

Depending on how a speaker uses it, it could mean “we go”, “we are going”, or “let’s go”. As an encouragement, “vamos!” is equivalent to “come on!” or “let’s go!” in English. Here are some examples:

• Vamos, equipa!: Come on, team!
• Vamos, Portugal!: Let’s go, Portugal!

In Portuguese, unlike in Spanish, the exclamation mark comes at the end, not the beginning. According to Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa, standard Portuguese punctuation uses “Vamos!” And not “¡Vamos!”



Why do football fans shout "vamos!"? 

“Vamos!” is short, easy to repeat, and directly associated with collective action. Football fans find it empowering as a chant to support and encourage their teams. In some cases, they may add their team’s name or repeat the word to create emphasis. For example, “Vamos! Vamos! Vamos!”, meaning “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!”

However, the exact wording of football chants varies between clubs, countries, and groups of supporters. “Vamos!” is not specifically a football term, meaning its use in supporting a team comes from its ordinary meaning. This means “Vamos!” can be used in different contexts aside from sporting activities.

How do you say "let's go, Portugal!" in Portuguese?

“Let’s go, Portugal!” is “Vamos, Portugal!” in Portuguese. Here, Portugal is being addressed directly, with the comma separating the encouragement from the country. You can use the same sentence constructions with a football club: “Vamos, (team name)!”

Some fans also use “Força” when celebrating their team. For example, “Força, Portugal!” is used to mean “Go, Portugal!” While the term “Força” literally means “strength” or “power”, football fans have adopted it as a popular chant, with a similar meaning to “Vamos!”

These two phrases are often used together but are not identical. Força conveys encouragement or support, while Vamos! focuses on taking action or going forward.



Is "vamos" used in both Brazil and Portugal?

Yes. Vamos! is part of the Portuguese language and is used in both Brazil and Portugal. The word belongs equally to both varieties.

Learners should understand that other parts of Portuguese can differ between European and Brazilian variants, including pronunciation, vocabulary, and some grammatical usage. Travellers looking to tour Portugal should specifically learn European Portuguese because it provides pronunciation and vocabulary relevant to Portugal.

What other Portuguese football phrases should you know?

Football supporters use more than Vamos! when supporting football. Several short expressions can communicate encouragement or support:

A chant at full volume sounds nothing like the same word in a lesson, which is why hearing it matters more than reading it. Memrise pairs its European Portuguese vocabulary with video of native speakers rather than studio recordings.

“Boa!” is helpful because it is often used as a short reaction when something goes well. This includes situations such as a player making a good pass, scoring a goal, or participating in defensive play.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "vamos"?

The pronunciation places stress on the first syllable, making it “VA-mos”. However, when shouted by a crowd, “Vamos” may sound different from the slower pronunciation in a language lesson. This is because supporters stretch, repeat and combine words as part of a chant.

Is "vamos!" Portuguese or Spanish?

Both. Vamos is a real word in each language, and in both it is the first-person plural of the verb meaning to go. The difference shows when you write it: Spanish opens an exclamation with an inverted mark, ¡Vamos!, while Portuguese uses only the closing one, Vamos! It sounds different too, because European Portuguese reduces the unstressed vowels that Spanish pronounces in full.

What does "força!" mean in Portuguese football?

‘Força!’ is an expression of encouragement that can be translated as “come on” depending on the context. The literal translation is “strength” or “power”, but fans use it as a form of encouragement. Most football fans in Portugal use both “força!” and “vamos!” during football matches to cheer for their teams.