Introduction

Arriving in Portugal for the first time is an exciting adventure, but stepping off the plane without basic Portuguese phrases can feel daunting. The good news? While many Portuguese people speak English, making an effort to speak their language opens doors—literally and figuratively. You’ll get warmer smiles at restaurants, better assistance from hotel staff, and genuine appreciation from locals who recognize you’re trying.

European Portuguese, spoken in Portugal itself, has a distinctly different character from Brazilian Portuguese. The pronunciation is crisper, more clipped, and sometimes challenging for English speakers because many vowels are almost swallowed at the end of words. Don’t worry—this guide will help you navigate the basics with confidence.

Greetings & Politeness

Starting with the fundamentals is crucial. Portuguese people appreciate politeness and formality, so using “please” and “thank you” will serve you well.

Basic Greetings

• Olá (oh-LAH) – Hello
• Bom dia (bom DEE-uh) – Good morning (before lunch)
• Boa tarde (BOH-uh TAR-duh) – Good afternoon (after lunch until dusk)
• Boa noite (BOH-uh NOY-tuh) – Good evening/night (after dark)
• Como está? (KOH-moo esh-TAH?) – How are you? (formal singular)
• Como vai? (KOH-moo VY?) – How are you? (informal)
• Estou bem, obrigado/obrigada (esh-TOH bem, oh-bree-GAH-doo/oh-bree-GAH-duh) – I’m well, thank you (masculine/feminine)
• Tudo bem? (TOO-doo bem?) – How’s everything? (very casual)
• Tchau (chow) – Bye
• Até logo (ah-TEH LO-go) – See you later
• Até amanhã (ah-TEH ah-mahn-YAH) – See you tomorrow

Essential Politeness

Por favor (poor fuh-VOR) – Please

Obrigado/Obrigada (oh-bree-GAH-doo/oh-bree-GAH-duh) – Thank you (masculine/feminine)

De nada (duh NAH-duh) – You’re welcome

Desculpa (duh-SKOOL-puh) – Sorry/Excuse me

Com licença (kohm lee-SEN-suh) – Excuse me (to pass someone)

Tudo bem? (TOO-doo bem?) – Everything okay?

Yes, No, and Basic Questions

These essential words form the foundation of communication:

Sim (sim) – Yes

Não (nown, with a nasal sound) – No

Talvez (tal-VES) – Maybe

Entendo (en-TEN-doo) – I understand

Não entendo (nown en-TEN-doo) – I don’t understand

Fala mais devagar, por favor (FAH-luh my duh-vuh-GAR, poor fuh-VOR) – Speak more slowly, please

Pode repetir? (POH-duh ruh-puh-TEER?) – Can you repeat that?

Asking for Help

When you need assistance, these phrases are invaluable:

Ajuda, por favor (uh-ZHU-duh, poor fuh-VOR) – Help, please

Você fala inglês? (voh-SEH FAH-luh ing-GLESH?) – Do you speak English?

Falo um pouco de português (FAH-loo oom POH-koo duh poor-too-GESH) – I speak a little Portuguese

Não falo português (nown FAH-loo poor-too-GESH) – I don’t speak Portuguese

Qual é…? (kwal eh…?) – What is…?

Onde é…? (ON-duh eh…?) – Where is…?

Quanto custa? (KWAN-too KOOSH-tuh?) – How much does it cost?

Pode ajudar-me? (POH-duh uh-zhu-DAR-muh?) – Can you help me?

Numbers 1-10

Essential for ordering, paying, and understanding quantities:

Um (oom) – 1

Dois (doysh) – 2

Três (tresh) – 3

Quatro (KWAR-too) – 4

Cinco (SING-koo) – 5

Seis (say-ish) – 6

Sete (SET-uh) – 7

Oito (OY-too) – 8

Nove (NOH-vuh) – 9

Dez (desh) – 10

Days of the Week

Helpful for making plans and understanding tour schedules:

Segunda-feira (suh-GOON-duh-FAY-ruh) – Monday

Terça-feira (TER-suh-FAY-ruh) – Tuesday

Quarta-feira (KWAR-tuh-FAY-ruh) – Wednesday

Quinta-feira (KEEN-tuh-FAY-ruh) – Thursday

Sexta-feira (SESH-tuh-FAY-ruh) – Friday

Sábado (SAH-buh-doo) – Saturday

Domingo (doo-MING-goo) – Sunday

Hoje (OH-zhuh) – Today
Amanhã (uh-mahn-YAH) – Tomorrow
Ontem (ON-tem) – Yesterday

Time Phrases

Que horas são? (kuh OR-ush sown?) – What time is it?

São as três (sown ush TRESH) – It’s 3 o’clock

São as dez e meia (sown ush desh ee MAY-uh) – It’s 10:30

De manhã (duh mahn-YAH) – In the morning

À tarde (ah TAR-duh) – In the afternoon

À noite (ah NOY-tuh) – In the evening

Hotel Check-In Phrases

Navigating hotels becomes much easier with these expressions:

Tem quartos disponíveis? (tem KWAR-toosh dish-puh-NEE-vaysh?) – Do you have rooms available?

Gostaria de um quarto (goosh-tuh-REE-uh duh oom KWAR-too) – I’d like a room

Para uma noite (PAH-ruh OO-muh NOY-tuh) – For one night

Para duas noites (PAH-ruh DOO-ush NOY-tush) – For two nights

Quanto custa por noite? (KWAN-too KOOSH-tuh poor NOY-tuh?) – How much per night?

Qual é o Wi-Fi? (kwal eh oo WY-FY?) – What’s the Wi-Fi password?

Tenho uma reserva (TEN-yoo OO-muh ruh-ZER-vuh) – I have a reservation

Meu nome é… (meh-oo NO-muh eh…) – My name is…

Preciso de toalhas (pruh-SEE-zoo duh too-AH-lyush) – I need towels

Que horas é a saída? (kuh OR-ush eh uh suh-EE-duh?) – What time is checkout?

Buying Tickets

Whether for trains, museums, or attractions, these phrases help:

Um bilhete para… (oom bee-LYET-uh PAH-ruh…) – One ticket for…

Dois bilhetes (doysh bee-LYET-ush) – Two tickets

Ida e volta (EE-duh ee VOL-tuh) – Round trip

Só ida (so EE-duh) – One way

Qual é o preço? (kwal eh oo PREH-soo?) – What’s the price?

Aceita cartão? (uh-SAY-tuh car-TOWN?) – Do you accept card?

Que hora sai o próximo? (kuh OR-uh sigh oo PROX-ee-moo?) – What time is the next one?

Key Differences: European vs Brazilian Portuguese

It’s worth noting that while Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese share the same core language, pronunciation differs significantly. In European Portuguese, you’ll notice:

Vowel dropping: The final vowels are often barely pronounced or dropped entirely. A word like “hoje” (today) sounds almost like “ozh” to untrained ears.

The “sh” sound: In European Portuguese, the letter ‘s’ at the end of syllables sounds like “sh,” and the letter ‘c’ before ‘e’ or ‘i’ also makes this sound. This doesn’t happen in Brazilian Portuguese, where ‘s’ sounds more like an English ‘s.’

The hard ‘r’: European Portuguese has a guttural ‘r’ sound similar to French, while Brazilian Portuguese uses a softer ‘r’ similar to English.

Stress and rhythm: European Portuguese is faster and more clipped, while Brazilian Portuguese is more lyrical and flowing.

European Portuguese Pronunciation Tips

Here are the most important things to remember when speaking European Portuguese:

1. Don’t over-pronounce vowels at the end of words. They’re barely there.
2. The ‘s’ sound is crucial. Master this “sh” sound and you’ll sound much more authentic.
3. Be comfortable with the guttural ‘r’. Practice from deep in your throat.
4. Learn stress patterns: In Portuguese, stress patterns affect meaning, so pay attention to which syllables are emphasized.

Putting It Together

When you arrive at your hotel, you might say: “Olá, bom dia. Tenho uma reserva. Meu nome é Sarah Thompson.” (oh-LAH, bom DEE-uh. TEN-yoo OO-muh ruh-ZER-vuh. Meh-oo NO-muh eh Sarah Thompson.) – Hello, good morning. I have a reservation. My name is Sarah Thompson.

Or at a ticket counter: “Dois bilhetes para Lisboa, ida e volta, por favor. Quanto custa?” (doysh bee-LYET-ush PAH-ruh Liz-BOH-uh, EE-duh ee VOL-tuh, poor fuh-VOR. KWAN-too KOOSH-tuh?) – Two tickets to Lisbon, round trip, please. How much?

Final Thoughts

Learning these essential phrases takes just a little effort, but the impact is enormous. Portuguese people genuinely appreciate visitors who make the attempt to speak their language, even if you stumble over the pronunciation. Start with greetings, master “please” and “thank you,” and you’ll find that most interactions become significantly easier.

Keep this guide handy on your phone, practice the pronunciations as you travel, and don’t be shy about using these phrases. The worst that happens is someone switches to English—and the best is that you make a genuine connection with a local who’s thrilled you’re trying.

Boa sorte! (Good luck!)