Basic Portuguese phrases for beginners and travellers

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VISIT PORTUGAL

So you’re travelling to Portugal and want to learn a little of the local language? Well, you’ve come to the right place! We are the travel experts after all, and the language experts by extension, so we’ll give you all the basic Portuguese phrases you need to make friends with the locals and not get lost in Lisbon.

Some notes on Portuguese

Did you know that Portuguese is the official language of 9 countries! These include Portugal (of course), Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor! Only 5% of Portuguese speakers actually live in Portugal, though, with the majority of them residing in Brazil! 

If you know Spanish, chances are you’re thinking Portuguese is similar – I mean, both languages do share 89% of their vocabulary and grammar – however, they are not mutually intelligible. Sorry, you’re going to have put in the same amount of work as the rest of us…

Is Brazilian Portuguese different from European Portuguese?

Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese are not the same either. Both languages share similarities and roots of course, but there are plenty of differences as well. This is like how Latin American Spanish and European Spanish aren’t the same either.

You’ll notice that Portuguese in Portugal doesn’t sound the same as Portuguese in Brazil. This is because Brazilians speak with more of a nasally sound, whereas European Portuguese is more guttural.

There are regional differences in vocabulary. For example, if you were asking for an ice cream in Portugal you’d ask for a ‘gelado’, but in Brazil you’d ask for a ‘sorvete’. That being said, the language stays basically the same, and you will be able to speak to a Brazilian local even if you only have European Portuguese under your belt.

Conjugation

Like many other romance languages, Portuguese makes use of conjugation. If you don’t know what conjugation is, it’s the variation of verbs in relation to the speaker or subject of a sentence. Each pronoun will have a different conjugation of a verb – let’s conjugate ‘viajar’ (to travel) as an example:

• Eu viajo = I travel
• Tu viajas = you travel
• Ele/Ela/Você viaja = he/she travels
• Nós viajamos = we travel
• Vós viajais = they travel
• Eles/Elas/Vocês viajam = he/she (plural) travels

Much like in Spanish, you can actually drop the pronoun when speaking as the use of conjugation will automatically signal who is speaking/who is being addressed.

Basic Portuguese phrases

Your brain must be full of fun facts now, but this is when the real learning begins. Get ready for these basic Portuguese phrases which will make your Iberian escape a whole lot more comprehensible!  

Day-to-day

When you just need to get around the city, these are the basic Portuguese phrases to use!

• Hello = Olá
• Goodbye = Adeus or Xau
• Please = Por favor
• Thank you = Obrigado
• Yes = Sim
• No = Nāo
• Sorry/excuse me = Desculpe
• Do you speak English? = Tu falas inglês / Você fala inglês?
• I don’t understand = Nāo entendo
• Where is the bathroom? = Onde fica a casa de banho?

Greetings

Whether you’re solo travelling or with a group, it’s always nice to make friends. Use these greetings and introductory phrases to help out!

• How are you? = Como estás / Como você está?
• I am well = Estou bem
• Good morning = Bom dia
• Good afternoon = Bom tarde
• Good evening / Good night = Boa noite
• My name is… = Chamo-me…

Travel phrases and directions

So you don’t get lost while you’re too busy wolfing down delicious pastel de nata, here are some handy travel phrases in Portuguese.

• Where is… = Onde está…
• How much is… = Quanto é…
• Restaurant = Restaurante 
• Hotel = Hotel
• Museum = Museu
• Monument = Monumento
• Bakery = Padaria
• Left = Esquerda
• Right = Direita

Ordering food

Portuguese food is absolutely DELICIOUS and you absolutely cannot miss out, so use these basic Portuguese phrases when ordering to really impress the locals before your meal.

• I would like to order… = Eu gostaria de pedir…
• Can I please have… = …por favor gostaria de…
• It’s very good = É muito bom
• Delicious = Delicioso
• Can I have a coffee please? = Um café se faz favor?
• Vegetarian = Vegetariano
• Hot = Quente
• Cold = Frio
• I would like to pay = Queria pagar, por favor
• Pastel de nata = Pastel de nata

Slang

Now, if you really want to fit in with the locals, or if you’ve made some Portuguese friends and want to join in on the fun, then slang is the best way to do that! These are 10 Portuguese slang terms to use.

1. Bué fixe

Bué fixe basically means ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’ – bué = muito = very, and fixe = cool – and it can be used in a variety of ways! Whether you’re describing an experience or complimenting a friend on their outfit, you can use bué fixe.

2. Estar na boa / Tas na boa

Literally translated, Estar na boa means ‘to stay of good’, but really it means being relaxed or chilled – not having any worries. You can use ficar de boa to say hang-out or take it easy.

3. Tás a ver?

Tás a ver is the Portuguese equivalent of ‘you know?’ used as a filler phrase when telling a story for example or gossiping with your besties.

4. Ranço

Ranço can be used to express a feeling of annoyance or disgust, which makes sense when you consider that it sounds a little like the word rancid. Safe to say, if someone refers to you as ranço, they’re not giving you a compliment. 

5. Pá

Pá isn’t so much a word as it is a filler phrase like ‘um’ for example. It’s usually tacked onto the end of a sentence and it can also be used to mean ‘man’ in the same way that English speakers would say ‘dude’ or ‘pal’. If you use pá in your sentences, you’ll be taken for a Portuguese pro!