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A Traveler’s Guide to Essential Portuguese

By Experi Team

Planning a trip to Portugal? What better time to learn a few words that could be useful during your travels. Mastering a few Portuguese phrases will allow you to connect with the locals and dive into the Portuguese way of life. While you will find that many locals speak some degree of English, they will certainly appreciate your attempt to engage with them by using a few words of their native language.

A few basics

Let's start with some greetings and polite words.

  • Hello / Good day - Olá / Bom dia (oh-LAH / bohn DEE-ah)
  • Yes - Sim (seen)
  • No - Não (now)
  • Please - Por favor (poor fah-VOR)
  • Thank you - Obrigado (said by male)/ Obrigada (said by female) (oh-bree-GAH-doo/dah)
  • You're welcome - De nada (deh NAH-dah)
  • Good afternoon - Boa tarde (BOH-ah TAR-deh)
  • Good night - Boa noite (BOH-ah NOY-teh)
  • Goodbye - Adeus (ah-DEH-oosh)
  • Excuse me - Com licença (kawn lee-SEN-sah)
  • I'm sorry - Desculpe? (desh-KOOL-peh)
  • Have a good day - Tenha um bom dia (TEN-yah oom bawng DEE-ah)
  • Have a good evening - Tenha uma boa noite (TEN-yah OO-mah BOH-ah NOY-teh)

Some essentials

Now let's have a look at some key sentences you might need during your trip.

  • Where is the toilet? - Onde é a casa de banho? (AWN-deh eh ah-KAH-za deh BAHN-yoo)
  • Do you speak English? - Fala inglês? (FAH-lah een-GLESH)
  • I'm sorry, I don't understand - Desculpe, não compeendo (desh-KOOL-peh, now kohn-pree-AYN-doo)
  • Where is … ? - Onde está … ? / Onde estão … ? (AWN-deh esh-TAH / Awn-deh esh-TOWN)

This is a useful sentence to ask for a location or directions. Use "Onde está" for singular objects/places, for example, "Onde está o banco?" (Where is the bank? Awn-deh esh-TAH oo BAN-koo) or "Onde está a estação?" (Where is the station? Awn-deh esh-TAH ah esh-tah-SOWN).

  • I would like … - Eu gostaria de … (eh-oo goosh-tah-REE-ah deh)

- Examples: Eu gostaria de um copo de vinho, por favor (I would like a glass of wine, please - eh-oo goosh-tah-REE-ah deh oom KO-paw jee VEE-nyoo, por fah-VOR)

  • With / Without - kohn / sayn

- Two useful words when ordering food at a restaurant.
- Examples: Sem queijo (without cheese - sayn KAY-zhoo), Com batatas fritas (with French fries - kohn bah-TAH-tash FREE-tash)

  • How much is it? - Quanto custa? (KWAN-too KOOS-tah)
portugal 3

At the hotel

Here is a list of words to get you started at the hotel.

  • The hotel - o hotel (oo oh-TEL)
  • The reservation - a reserva (ah heh-ZER-vah)
  • The key - a chave (ah SHAH-veh)
    Luggage - a bagagem (ah bah-GAH-zhem)
  • The room - o quarto (oo KWAR-too)
  • Breakfast - o pequeno-almoço (oo peh-KEH-noo al-MOH-soo)
  • At what time is checkout? - A que horas é o check-out? (ah keh OH-rash eh oo check-out)

At the restaurant

Now let's prepare for a delicious Portuguese meal!

  • A table for two, please - Uma mesa para duas, por favor (OO-mah MAY-zah pah-rah DOO-ahsh, poor fah-VOR)

If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, you may find these sentences useful:

  • I am vegetarian - Sou vegetariano/a (soh veh-zheh-tah-ree-AH-noo/nah)
  • I am vegan - Sou vegano/a (soh veh-GAH-noo/nah)
  • I am gluten intolerant - Sou intolerante ao glúten (soh een-toh-leh-RAN-teh ow GLOO-ten)

Here are a few words you might see on the menu:

  • Appetizers - Entradas (ayn-TRAH-dahsh)
  • The main dish - o prato principal (oo PRAH-too preen-see-PAL)
  • Meat - carne (KAR-neh)
  • Fish / Seafood - peixe / marisco (PEY-shee / mah-REESH-koo)
  • Dessert - sobremesa (soh-breh-MAY-zah)
  • A glass of white / red wine - um copo de vinho branco / tinto (oom KO-paw jee VEE-nyoo BRANG-koo / TEEN-too)
  • Sparkling water - água com gás (AH-gwah kawn GASH)

And once the drinks and food have arrived:

  • Cheers - Saúde! (sah-OO-deh)
  • Enjoy - Bom apetite! (bohn ah-peh-TEE-teh)
  • The check, please - A conta, por favor (ah KOHN-tah, poor fah-VOR)

Why not test your newly learned Portuguese vocabulary on a food and wine journey to Portugal? And if you already have a trip to Portugal on the horizon, Boa viagem! (Good trip! - BOH-ah vee-AH-zhen).

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