Are you planning a trip to Portugal, or want to get a taste of Portuguese? Learning some of the most common Portuguese phrases will for sure come in handy. Not only will they help you navigate your way around, but they’ll also give you a general sense of what Portuguese looks and sounds like.
Here’re some of the most common Portuguese phrases you need to learn as soon as possible. These phrases are used in everyday situations, from greetings to ordering food to asking for directions.
- Olá [oˈɫa] – Hello
- Xau [ˈʃaw] – Goodbye
- Obrigado/a [obɾiˈgadu/ɐ] – Thank you (male/female)
- De nada [dɨ ˈnadɐ ] – You’re welcome
- Por favor [puɾ fɐˈvoɾ] – Please
- Com licença [kõ ɫiˈsẽsɐ] – Excuse me
- Desculpe [dɨʃˈkuɫpɨ]– Sorry
- Não falo português [ˈnɐ̃w ˈfaɫu puɾtuˈgeʃ] – I don’t speak Portuguese
- Fala inglês? [ˈfaɫɐ ĩˈgɫeʃ?] – Do you speak English?
- Sim [ˈsĩ] – Yes
- Não [ˈnɐ̃w] – No
- Como está? [ˈkomu ʃˈta?] – How are you?
- Tudo bem [ˈtudu bɐ̃j] – Everything’s good
- Sou de… [ˈso dɨ… ] – I’m from…
- Como se chama? [ˈkomu sɨ ˈʃɐmɐ? ] – What’s your name?
- Chamo-me… [ˈʃɐmu-mɨ…] – My name is…
- Prazer em conhecê-lo/a [pɾɐˈzeɾ ɐ̃j kuɲɨˈse-ɫu/ɐ] – Nice to meet you (male/female)
- Onde fica…? [ˈõdɨ ˈfikɐ…?] – Where is…?
- Quanto custa? [ˈkwɐ̃tu ˈkuʃtɐ?] – How much does it cost?
- Gostava de… [guʃˈtavɐ dɨ…] – I would like to…
- Aceita cartão de crédito? [ɐˈsɐjtɐ kaɾˈtɐ̃w dɨ ˈkɾɛditu?] – Do you take credit card?
- Posso pagar em dinheiro? [ˈposu pɐˈgaɾ ɐ̃j diˈɲɐjɾu?] – Can I pay in cash?
- Com licença [kõ ɫiˈsẽsɐ]– Excuse me
- Preciso de ajuda [pɾɨˈsizu dɨ ɐˈʒudɐ] – I need help
- Não entendi [ˈnɐ̃w ẽtẽˈdi] – I didn’t understand
- Pode repetir, por favor? [ˈpodɨ ʁɨpɨˈtiɾ, puɾ fɐˈvoɾ?] – Can you repeat, please?
- Pode falar mais devagar? [ˈpodɨ fɐˈɫaɾ ˈmajʒ dɨvɐˈgaɾ?] – Can you speak more slowly?
- Aqui está [ɐˈki ʃˈta] – Here it is
- Concordo [kõˈkoɾdu] – I agree
- Não concordo [ˈnɐ̃w kõˈkoɾdu] – I disagree
- Percebi [pɨɾsɨˈbi] – I understood
- Não percebi [ˈnɐ̃w pɨɾsɨˈbi] – I didn’t understand
- Como se diz… em português? [ˈkomu sɨ ˈdiʃ… ɐ̃j puɾtuˈgeʃ?] – How do you say… in Portuguese?
- Pode-me mostrar no mapa? [ˈpodɨ-mɨ muʃˈtɾaɾ nu ˈmapɐ?] – Can you show me on the map?
- Qual é a melhor maneira de lá chegar? [ˈkwaɫ ˈɛ ɐ mɨˈʎoɾ mɐˈnɐjɾɐ dɨ ˈɫa ʃɨˈgaɾ?] – What’s the best way to get there?
- À esquerda [à ʃˈkeɾdɐ] – To the left
- À direita [à diˈɾɐjtɐ ] – To the right
- Em frente [ɐ̃j ˈfɾẽtɨ] – Straight ahead
- Desculpe, estou perdido/a [dɨʃˈkuɫpɨ, ʃˈto pɨɾˈdidu/ɐ] – Sorry, I’m lost (male/female)
- Estou à procura de… [ʃˈto à pɾuˈkuɾɐ dɨ…] – I’m looking for…
- É longe daqui? [ˈɛ ˈɫõʒɨ dɐˈki?] – Is it far from here?
- A que horas abre/fecha? [kɨ ˈoɾɐz ˈabɾɨ/ˈfɐjʃɐ?] – What time does it open/close?
- Pode-me recomendar um restaurante [ˈpodɨ-mɨ ʁɨkumẽˈdaɾ ˈũ ʁɨʃtawˈɾɐ̃tɨ] – Can you recommend a restaurant?
- Queria… [kɨˈɾiɐ…] – I would like to order…
- O menu, por favor [u mɨˈnu, puɾ fɐˈvoɾ] – The menu, please
- Qual é o prato do dia? [ˈkwaɫ ˈɛ u ˈpɾatu du ˈdiɐ?] – What’s the dish of the day?
- A conta, por favor [ɐ ˈkõtɐ, puɾ fɐˈvoɾ] – The bill, please
- Preciso de fazer uma reserva [pɾɨˈsizu dɨ fɐˈzeɾ ˈumɐ ʁɨˈzeɾvɐ ] – I need to make a reservation
- Gostava de cancelar a minha reserva [guʃˈtavɐ dɨ kɐ̃sɨˈɫaɾ ɐ ˈmiɲɐ ʁɨˈzeɾvɐ] – I would like to cancel my reservation
- Até à próxima [ɐˈtɛ à ˈpɾɔsimɐ] – See you next time
Again, learning these common Portuguese phrases is an excellent way to get started. However, keep in mind that the key to learning a language is consistency and continuous practice.
Put another way, if you are serious about learning Portuguese, you’ll need to commit and practice it on a regular basis. On this note, consider reading this article: ポルトガル語を学ぶ最良の方法: 流暢になるための重要な戦略.
One more tip. Here’s a read that will guide you through quality learning resources (European Portuguese specific): オンラインでポルトガル語を学ぶ – 初心者およびそれ以降のための最高のリソース.
