Portuguese For Tourists

Posted by Marianne Hoesen on Thursday, November 6, 2014 Under: holiday tips
                                           


For a pleasant holiday in Portugal, it is not absolutely necessary to speak the language, but it is definitely very much appreciated if you can use just a few words of Portuguese. Here you will find a first-aid kit to  Portuguese phrases that will impress the locals.

  1. Greeting. It is always polite if you can say hi in Portuguese. In the morning, you say BOM DIA, if it is afternoon it´s BOA TARDE and after the sun went down, you say BOA NOITE. If you forget about all of this, a simple OLÁ is also OK!
  2. Goodbye. Just leaving without a word is a bit rude. To keep it very simple just say: CIAO (as in Italian) or ADEUS (pronounced adé-oush)
  3. Drinks. You surely get thirsty on holiday, so here are some common drinks you can order. A beer is called UMA CERVEJA (pronounced servesha). You have the choice between a small bottle (cerveja mini), a large bottle (cerveja media), or a draft beer (imperial). Then there is wine. Gererally the house wine is good quality and cheap. Red wine is VINHO TINTO, white wine is VINHO BRANCO and then there's VINHO VERDE (sparkling very young wine, mostly white). Would you prefer a cup of coffee? Then read the article written on coffee elsewhere in this blog. 
  4. Thank. If you want to say thank you for something, what you say in Portuguese depends on whether you are a man or a woman. Men say OBRIGADO and women say OBRIGADA.
  5. Politeness.  If you want to ask something politely, you add POR FAVOR or FAZ FAVOR to the subject of your desire.
  6. The same again.  Very handy if you're having a nice time in the bar: MAIS UMA. If you hold your beer up while you say MAIS UMA, you get another one. If you manage to add the polite FAZ FAVOR and a smile, then it probably will go faster.  The word UMA means one. So if you in stead want another 2, then the phrase is MAIS DUAS.
  7. Pay. Time to ask for the bill: A CONTA SE FAZ FAVOR
  8. Sorry.  Desculpe! (Pronounced desh-koulp) This word can mean a lot. It draws attention to you if you for instance want to pass somebody, it says "I am sorry" if you dropped something.
  9. Yes or no.  If you just need a simple yes: SIM (pronounced sieng). No means NÃO (pronounced Now)

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About Me


Marianne Hoesen Born in the deep south of The Netherlands, I moved to the central Algarve in 2007, together with my partner and 2 dogs. In the meantime we added some goats and chickens and are living a peaceful life in the rolling hills of the rural south of Portugal. I invite you to read a bit in my blog and to leave a comment afterwards. Also check out the holiday accommodations mentioned elsewhere in this website.

 

Algarve Portugal
café Portugal, bica
Esteva, rock rose, Algarve
sun, beach, Algarve
real cork real wine
beach Algarve
folklore dance Algarve
chicken piri piri

São Marcos da Serra, Algarve 8375, PT