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.

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
• 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
• Fala inglês?: do you speak English?
• Não percebo: I don’t understand

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
• 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!

See what to eat in Portugal.

Getting around

• Onde fica…?: where is…?
• A estação / o aeroporto / a praia: the station / the airport / the beach
• Um bilhete para…: a ticket to…
• Quanto custa?: how much is it?
• À esquerda / à direita / em frente: left / right / straight on
• Casa de banho: toilet

Emergencies

• Socorro!: help!
• Preciso de um médico: I need a doctor
• Farmácia: pharmacy (look for the green cross)
• 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.

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

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