Read and practise without an account
First Portuguese phrases for travel and everyday life in Portugal
You do not need perfect grammar to begin a short conversation. Pick a situation you are likely to encounter first. These phrases help you greet someone, order a drink and ask for help understanding a reply.
Libraski
1. Start a conversation
Learn a greeting together with your name. Practise it as one short sentence before adding the next expression.
- Olá! Chamo-me Alex.
- Hello! My name is Alex.
- Bom dia!
- Good morning!
- Boa tarde!
- Good afternoon!
- Boa noite!
- Good evening! / Good night!Use it as an evening greeting or when saying goodbye for the night.
Further reading: Turismo de Portugal · Useful phrases
2. Place a simple order in a café
Queria … is a polite way to express what you would like. Start by changing just the drink. This gives you a usable pattern instead of a collection of disconnected words.
- Queria um chá, por favor.
- I would like a tea, please.
- Queria uma água, por favor.
- I would like a water, please.
- Quanto custa?
- How much does it cost?
- A conta, por favor.
- The bill, please.
3. Slow the conversation down
If you do not understand the reply, asking for clarification is your next turn in the conversation. Be specific about what would help: repeating, speaking more slowly or showing you.
- Desculpe, não percebi.
- Sorry, I did not understand.
- Pode repetir mais devagar, por favor?
- Could you repeat that more slowly, please?
- Pode mostrar no mapa?
- Could you show me on the map?
4. Turn the phrases into a dialogue
Play both roles. On the second round, look only at the meanings and try to say the Portuguese yourself. Then replace chá with água and change um to uma.
- Bom dia! Queria um chá, por favor.
- Customer: Good morning! I would like a tea, please.
- Com açúcar?
- Server: With sugar?
- Não, sem açúcar, por favor.
- Customer: No, without sugar, please.
Try it yourself
You did not understand a reply and would like to hear it more slowly. What could you say?
Show the answer and explanation
Pode repetir mais devagar, por favor?
Pode repetir asks for repetition; mais devagar means more slowly. You can introduce it with: Desculpe, não percebi.