Guide
Epitaphs for headstones and graves
Choosing the right words is one of the most delicate steps. We have gathered 64 short, sober and respectful epitaphs — written for headstones and graves — grouped by theme and by relationship, to help you find the right words.
The epitaphs below are in Portuguese, because that is what goes onto the stone — a headstone for a grave in Portugal reads in Portuguese. If your family prefers another language, tell us: we engrave the phrase exactly as you write it.
Short epitaphs for graves
Sober, universal phrases that fit any headstone, even the smallest ones.
- “Sempre no nosso coração”
- “Até um dia, para sempre”
- “Amor eterno”
- “Saudades eternas”
- “Descansa em paz”
- “A luz que nos guia”
- “Vives em nós”
- “A saudade é o amor que fica”
- “Presente na memória”
- “O tempo passa, o amor fica”
Epitaphs for a mother's headstone
It is the tribute we are asked for most often, and the one that usually takes longest to decide. It is almost always a daughter or a son writing, often weeks after the funeral, when the grave is ready and only the stone is missing.
- “Mãe, obrigado por tudo o que fizeste por nós”
- “Foste, és e serás sempre a nossa luz”
- “A tua bondade continua a guiar-nos”
- “Mãe querida, amor eterno da tua família”
- “O teu colo era o nosso lar”
- “Nunca deixaste de nos amar — nunca deixaremos de te amar”
Epitaphs for a father's headstone
In requests for a father, the photograph is almost always old — from work, from a celebration, taken from a distance. It is the one the family has, and it is the one we work with.
- “Pai, o teu exemplo vive em nós”
- “Foste o nosso porto seguro”
- “Obrigado por tudo, Pai”
- “A tua força ficou connosco”
- “Descansa, Pai — cumpriste com honra”
- “Herói silencioso da nossa vida”
Epitaphs for a grandmother's headstone
Requests for a grandmother often come from grandchildren who have left home, and sometimes the country. The grave is in a place where no one in the family lives day to day.
- “As tuas mãos ensinaram-nos o mundo”
- “Avó querida, a nossa raiz”
- “Contigo aprendemos a amar”
- “A casa da avó era o mundo inteiro”
- “Guardaste-nos a todos — guardamos-te agora”
Epitaphs for a grandfather's headstone
The grandfather's headstone is often made at the same time as the grandmother's, so the two sit on the same grave and match. If that is your case, tell us — the two pieces are designed together.
- “Avô, guardas para sempre um lugar à mesa”
- “As tuas histórias continuam a contar-se”
- “Ensinaste-nos sem nunca dar lições”
- “Descansa, avô — o teu trabalho ficou feito”
Epitaphs for a wife's or husband's headstone
These requests almost always come from one person alone, with no one else to decide with. It is the one that most often arrives with the phrase already written — and the one that most often changes it three times before engraving. You may change it as many times as you need.
- “Até que a vida nos volte a juntar”
- “Metade de mim ficou aqui”
- “Contigo aprendi tudo o que sei do amor”
- “Foste a minha casa durante uma vida inteira”
- “Espero-te, como sempre esperámos um pelo outro”
Epitaphs for a son's or daughter's headstone
Nothing we could write here would make this easier. Only this: we handle these requests slowly, and nobody is rushed into deciding anything.
- “Passaste breve, ficaste para sempre”
- “O nosso pequeno amor”
- “Estrela mais brilhante do nosso céu”
- “Nenhum tempo teria sido suficiente”
- “Filho, o amor não se mede em anos”
Epitaphs for a brother's or sister's headstone
It is the relationship where the photograph is usually the hardest part: the photos that exist are group photos, from parties, with other people around. We can isolate one person from a group photograph — send the one you have.
- “Crescemos juntos — continuamos juntos”
- “Ninguém me conheceu como tu”
- “A infância inteira cabe na tua falta”
- “Irmão para sempre, à distância que for”
Epitaphs for an uncle's or aunt's headstone
Often it is the person who took care of everything their whole life and left no children to take care of this. A nephew or niece handles the headstone, and the decision is shared by several people — the design goes out on WhatsApp for everyone to see before approving.
- “Foste família por escolha, todos os dias”
- “A porta da tua casa esteve sempre aberta”
- “Trataste de todos — hoje tratamos de ti”
- “Obrigado por tudo o que ninguém viu”
Epitaphs for those who were family without the paperwork
Godparents, lifelong friends, neighbours who became family. Not everyone we miss has a kinship name, and these tributes are exactly like the others — nothing here is done with less care because there is no word for the relationship.
- “Família não é só a de sangue”
- “Estiveste cá em todas as que importaram”
- “Amigo de uma vida inteira”
- “Escolhemo-nos, e isso valeu tudo”
Religious epitaphs and words of faith
Verses and Christian expressions for headstones with spiritual meaning.
- “O Senhor é o meu pastor, nada me faltará”
- “Bem-aventurados os que morrem no Senhor”
- “Descanse em paz, na paz de Cristo”
- “Deus é amor”
- “Ressuscitou — não está aqui”
- “Feliz aquele que espera no Senhor”
Poetic and literary epitaphs
For headstones that prefer poetic, discreet and original language.
- “Amar é eterno — o resto é passagem”
- “Partiste, mas o amor ficou aqui”
- “A morte não separa quem o amor uniu”
- “Sou saudade — sou a memória de quem me amou”
- “Enquanto houver quem te lembre, viverás”
Would you like to see the phrase engraved before deciding?
We always prepare a digital proposal with the design of your headstone — name, dates, photograph and message — for your approval before anything is produced. No advance payment.