Portuguese Phrases for Travellers (with Pronunciation)

Many Portuguese people speak good English, especially in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, but a few words of Portuguese go a long way. Locals really appreciate the effort, and it helps in villages, markets and cafés. Here are the Portuguese phrases every traveller should know, with simple pronunciation tips.

Quick answer: learn olá (hello), bom dia (good morning), obrigado/obrigada (thank you), por favor (please), desculpe (sorry/excuse me), a conta, por favor (the bill, please) and fala inglês? (do you speak English?). And remember: Portuguese is not Spanish, so don’t default to Spanish!

Pronunciation tips

• European Portuguese swallows a lot of vowels, so it sounds softer and faster than Brazilian Portuguese.
• “s” at the end of a word often sounds like “sh” (obrigados = obrigadosh).
• “ão” is a nasal “owng” sound, as in pão (bread).
• “lh” sounds like the “lli” in million; “nh” like the “ny” in canyon.
• “r” at the start of a word, or written “rr”, is a throaty sound, a bit like the French “r”.
• “ch” sounds like “sh”, as in chá (tea).

The essentials

• Olá (oh-LAH): hello
• Bom dia (bohm DEE-ah): good morning
• Boa tarde (BOH-ah tard): good afternoon
• Boa noite (BOH-ah noyt): good evening / good night
• Obrigado (if you’re male) / obrigada (if you’re female): thank you
• De nada: you’re welcome
• Por favor: please
• Sim / Não: yes / no
• Desculpe (desh-KOOLP): sorry / excuse me
• Com licença: excuse me (to get past someone)
• Tchau / Adeus: bye / goodbye
• Até logo: see you later
• Fala inglês?: do you speak English?
• Não percebo: I don’t understand
• Pode repetir, mais devagar?: can you repeat that, more slowly?

Polite small talk

• Como está?: how are you? (polite form)
• Bem, obrigado/a: fine, thanks
• Chamo-me…: my name is…
• Sou da Irlanda / de Inglaterra / dos Estados Unidos: I’m from Ireland / England / the United States
• Muito prazer: nice to meet you

In European Portuguese, use the polite o senhor / a senhora (sir / madam) with older people and in shops. The casual tu (you) is for friends and people your own age.

Eating out

• Uma mesa para dois, por favor: a table for two, please
• A ementa, por favor: the menu, please
• O prato do dia: the dish of the day
• Meia dose: half portion
• Uma bica / um café: an espresso
• Um galão: a milky coffee in a glass
• Uma imperial (Lisbon) / um fino (Porto): a small draught beer
• Vinho tinto / branco: red / white wine
• Água (sem gás / com gás): water (still / sparkling)
• Sou vegetariano/a: I’m vegetarian
• Sou alérgico/a a…: I’m allergic to…
• A conta, por favor: the bill, please
• Estava delicioso!: it was delicious!

A tip on menus: the bread, olives and cheese (couvert) put on your table aren’t free. If you don’t want them, just say não, obrigado and they’ll be taken away. See what to eat in Portugal and the Portuguese coffee guide.

Shopping and money

• Quanto custa?: how much is it?
• Posso pagar com cartão?: can I pay by card?
• Só estou a ver: I’m just looking
• Um saco, por favor: a bag, please
• Aberto / fechado: open / closed

Getting around

• Onde fica…?: where is…?
• A estação / o aeroporto / a praia: the station / the airport / the beach
• Um bilhete para…: a ticket to…
• Ida e volta: return (ticket)
• A que horas parte?: what time does it leave?
• À esquerda / à direita / em frente: left / right / straight on
• Casa de banho: toilet
• Saída / entrada: exit / entrance

See the Portugal train guide.

At the hotel

• Tenho uma reserva: I have a booking
• A chave, por favor: the key, please
• A que horas é o pequeno-almoço?: what time is breakfast?
• Qual é a palavra-passe do wi-fi?: what’s the wi-fi password?

Numbers

• 1 to 5: um (or uma), dois (or duas), três, quatro, cinco
• 6 to 10: seis, sete, oito, nove, dez
• Bigger numbers: vinte (20), cinquenta (50), cem (100). Prices are often written with a comma, so €2,50 means two euros fifty.

Emergencies

• Socorro!: help!
• Preciso de um médico: I need a doctor
• Farmácia: pharmacy (look for the green cross)
• Chame a polícia: call the police
• Emergency number: 112

Tips

• Greet first: say bom dia or boa tarde when you walk into a shop or café.
• Don’t speak Spanish by default. Most people understand it, but English is usually welcomed more.
• Use an app for menus and signs, but try the basics yourself. Set it to European Portuguese if you can, as Brazilian phrases can sound odd.
• Don’t worry about mistakes: a clumsy obrigado still gets a smile.

More: things to know before visiting Portugal and Portuguese etiquette.

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