Communicating in Rio de Janeiro???
 

Is it critical to learn some portuguese in order to communicate at restaurants/bars, etc. in Rio? I always try to learn the basics of the language of the country I am travelling to (Italy, Germany, etc.) but am a little intimidated by this one. Thank you in advance for your help.

I got by knowing two words... Bom Dia (pronounced like bom jia) is good morning and Obregada (or obregado for men) is thank you.

Don't be intimidated! Cariocas (as they call people from Rio) are very welcoming to tourists. I think you can get by in English okay, but learning a few of the basics may be helpful! Boa sorte!

I almost forgot... another word you need to know is caipirinha (order one in a bar and you'll start speaking fluent Portuguese!)

You should be fine in Rio without knowing much Portugese. Most of the restaurants/bars/hotels have English speaking folks working there. I do agree with the comment on ordering a caipirinha...I prefer the caipirinha with vodka...YUMMIE!