Portugal Vibe

Portuguese phrasebook for travellers

The words and phrases you really need on a trip to Portugal, each with a simple pronunciation guide. Because a few words of Portuguese make all the difference.

Greetings & basics

  • Hello / hi

    Olá

    oh-LAH

  • Good morning

    Bom dia

    bong DEE-ah

  • Good afternoon

    Boa tarde

    BOH-ah TAR-de

  • Good evening

    Boa noite

    BOH-ah NOY-te

  • Thank you (said by a man)

    Obrigado

    oh-bree-GAH-doo

  • Thank you (said by a woman)

    Obrigada

    oh-bree-GAH-dah

  • You are welcome

    De nada

    de NAH-dah

  • Please

    Por favor

    poor fah-VOR

  • Yes

    Sim

    seeng

  • No

    Não

    nowng

  • Excuse me / sorry

    Desculpe

    desh-KOOL-pe

  • Goodbye

    Adeus

    ah-DEOSH

  • Do you speak English?

    Fala inglês?

    FAH-lah een-GLESH

  • I do not understand

    Não percebo

    nowng per-SEH-boo

Food & restaurants

  • The menu, please

    A ementa, por favor

    ah eh-MEN-tah, poor fah-VOR

  • The bill, please

    A conta, por favor

    ah KON-tah, poor fah-VOR

  • Water

    Água

    AH-gwah

  • It is very good

    Está muito bom

    esh-TAH MOY-too bong

  • An espresso

    Um café

    oong kah-FEH

  • A pastel de nata (custard tart)

    Um pastel de nata

    oong pash-TEL de NAH-tah

  • A glass of red wine

    Um copo de vinho tinto

    oong KOH-poo de VEEN-yoo TEEN-too

  • I am vegetarian

    Sou vegetariano

    soh veh-zhe-tah-ree-AH-noo

  • No meat, please

    Sem carne, por favor

    seng KAR-ne, poor fah-VOR

Transport & getting around

  • Where is...?

    Onde fica...?

    ON-de FEE-kah

  • Left

    À esquerda

    ah esh-KER-dah

  • Right

    À direita

    ah dee-RAY-tah

  • Straight ahead

    Em frente

    eng FREN-te

  • Is it far?

    É longe?

    eh LON-zhe

  • The train station

    A estação de comboios

    ah esh-tah-SOWNG de kom-BOY-oosh

  • Stop here, please

    Pare aqui, por favor

    PAH-re ah-KEE, poor fah-VOR

Shopping & money

  • How much is it?

    Quanto custa?

    KWAN-too KOOSH-tah

  • Too expensive

    É muito caro

    eh MOY-too KAH-roo

  • Can I pay by card?

    Posso pagar com cartão?

    POH-soo pah-GAR kong kar-TOWNG

  • I am just looking

    Estou só a ver

    esh-TOH saw ah VER

  • I will take this

    Levo isto

    LEH-voo EESH-too

Emergencies & help

  • Help!

    Socorro!

    soh-KOH-roo

  • Call a doctor

    Chame um médico

    SHAH-me oong MEH-dee-koo

  • The hospital

    O hospital

    oo osh-pee-TAL

  • The pharmacy

    A farmácia

    ah far-MAH-see-ah

  • The police

    A polícia

    ah poo-LEE-see-ah

  • I lost my passport

    Perdi o passaporte

    per-DEE oo pah-sah-POR-te

  • I need help

    Preciso de ajuda

    preh-SEE-zoo de ah-ZHOO-dah

Common questions

How do you say thank you in Portuguese?

Thank you in Portuguese depends on who is speaking: a man says "Obrigado" (oh-bree-GAH-doo) and a woman says "Obrigada" (oh-bree-GAH-dah). It matches the gender of the speaker, not the person you are thanking.

How do you say hello in Portuguese?

Hello is "Olá" (oh-LAH). In the morning you say "Bom dia" (bong DEE-ah), in the afternoon "Boa tarde" (BOH-ah TAR-de), and in the evening "Boa noite" (BOH-ah NOY-te).

Do you need to speak Portuguese to travel in Portugal?

Not at all. In the cities and tourist areas English is widely spoken and people are happy to help. But a few Portuguese words, especially "thank you", "please" and "excuse me", open doors and are warmly received. This phrasebook gives you the basics, with a simple pronunciation guide.