Memory Palace
Slide the beads and count your way through Portuguese numbers — from zero to one hundred on this ancient calculator.
Mastering abacus vocabulary is one of the fastest wins in Portuguese. These 8 words cover the everyday language you need to navigate Slide the beads and count your way through and more. In Loci, each word is anchored to a vivid memory palace scene so it sticks in long-term memory — not just until your next practice session.
zero
Estou começando do zero.
I'm starting from zero.
one
Só tem um.
There's only one.
two
Dois cafés, por favor.
Two coffees, please.
three
Tenho três irmãos.
I have three siblings.
five
São cinco horas.
It's five o'clock.
ten
Custa dez reais.
It costs ten reais.
twenty
Ele tem vinte anos.
He is twenty years old.
one hundred
Isso custa cem reais.
That costs one hundred reais.
| # | Portuguese | English | Type | Example Sentence | Memory Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | zero | zero | function wordEssential | Estou começando do zero.I'm starting from zero. | 'Zero' in Portuguese sounds exactly like English 'zero' (ZEH-roo). The first bead is the easiest — i… |
| 2 | um | one | function wordEssential | Só tem um.There's only one. | 'Um' sounds exactly like the English filler word 'um.' There's only ONE of you when you're nervously… |
| 3 | dois | two | function wordEssential | Dois cafés, por favor.Two coffees, please. | 'Dois' sounds like 'DOYS' — rhymes with 'toys' or 'boys.' Think of DOIS dice (two dice). You always … |
| 4 | três | three | function wordEssential | Tenho três irmãos.I have three siblings. | 'Três' sounds like 'TRACE' or 'trays' — think of THREE trees or a tray with three legs. Three trees … |
| 5 | cinco | five | function wordEssential | São cinco horas.It's five o'clock. | 'Cinco' sounds like 'SINK-oo' — five sinks, one for each finger. Hold up your hand: five fingers, fi… |
| 6 | dez | ten | function wordEssential | Custa dez reais.It costs ten reais. | 'Dez' sounds like 'DEZ' / desk. Ten students at a desk, ten fingers up. It's the base of our countin… |
| 7 | vinte | twenty | function wordEssential | Ele tem vinte anos.He is twenty years old. | 'Vinte' sounds like 'VEEN-chee' / vintage. Twenty vintage wines lined up on the top rail. If you're … |
| 8 | cem | one hundred | function wordEssential | Isso custa cem reais.That costs one hundred reais. | 'Cem' sounds like 'SAYM' / cement. One hundred buckets of cement. The base board is the foundation —… |
How Loci Teaches These Words
In the Loci app, these 8 words are placed inside the The Abacus memory palace. Each word is anchored to a specific location — a locus — with a vivid, absurd mnemonic scene designed by memory champions. When you walk through the palace during review, the scenes pop back into your mind automatically, pulling the Portuguese word with them.
Here's how Loci makes three of these words unforgettable.
The first bead on the abacus is completely EMPTY — it's a transparent glass bead with nothing inside. A superhero named ZERO wearing a cape with a big '0' guards this empty slot, flexing dramatically over absolutely nothing.
'Zero' in Portuguese sounds exactly like English 'zero' (ZEH-roo). The first bead is the easiest — it's the same word! Zero = zero.
On the second row, there is exactly ONE solitary bead doing a dramatic mic drop. This single bead clears its throat nervously: 'UMMM...' (um) — like someone stuttering 'um' in a speech. It's the ONE and only, stammering under a blinding spotlight.
'Um' sounds exactly like the English filler word 'um.' There's only ONE of you when you're nervously saying 'um' at a podium — just one lonely bead stuttering.
The third notch has TWO beads that are actually tiny DICE (dois = doys/dice). The pair of dice keep rolling themselves and always land on snake eyes — TWO dots each! 'DOIS of us!' they chant, bumping together like best friends.
'Dois' sounds like 'DOYS' — rhymes with 'toys' or 'boys.' Think of DOIS dice (two dice). You always roll TWO dice together.
Learn for Free
Reading a word list is one thing. Loci takes these 8 abacus words and places them inside a vivid memory palace with mnemonics, example sentences, and spaced repetition. Words stop slipping away.