Coming to Portugal and worried about the language? You can relax! Portuguese people speak English fairly well and will make an effort to understand what you’re trying to say (unless you’re rude)!
That being said, they appreciate it when you make an effort to speak the language. Because we care about you and your well being, here’s a few words and phrases to learn!
Olá / Adeus – Hello / Goodbye
They’re super easy to pronounce, so just go for it!
Obrigado/ Obrigada – Thank you
This is the most important one. Just learn to say thank you and your life will be easier! The word is pronounced o-bree-gah-do w if you’re a man. If you’re a woman, it’s pronounced o-bree-gah-da.
De nada – You’re welcome
Just use it like you would in English! If someone says ‘Obrigado‘, reply ‘De nada‘. Not a lot of tourists do this so if you do you’ll instantly get brownie points!
Bom dia/ Boa tarde/ Boa noite – Good morning/ Good afternoon/ Good night
It’s polite to greet someone when you enter a cafe, restaurant, shop, or museum. You’ll be treated well if you make that extra effort.
Por favor – Please
Nothing charms the locals more than polite tourists. You might even get a kiss from an old lady, an honour for anyone, really.
Saúde – Brinde
This is pronounced Sa-ú-de with a silent D in the end, and not Sa-ú-dji like in Brazil. Learn this well, you’ll need it for the many toasts you’ll do here.
Uma água, por favor – A water, please
We were going to teach you to ask for beer (cerveja), or wine (vinho), but decided to just go for water. It’s easy to get dehydrated by walking around in the sun all day, and we told you we care about your well being, so water it is!
Desculpe – Excuse me
Pronounced like days-cool’pee, you use it just like you would in English. You use it just like you would in English! For example, when you accidentally bump into people, want to apologise, or want to get someone’s attention.
Fixe – Cool
Pronounced feesh, it’s an informal way of saying something is cool or very good. Try using it, not a lot of tourists do and it might surprise some portuguese people.
Não falo Português. Pode falar em Inglês? –
I don’t speak Portuguese. Can you speak English?
If everything else fails, you can always use this phrase. Hopefully you’ve picked up a few words at this point though by now.
Hostels in Portugal
If you like to party, meet people from all over the world, and get to know the local gastronomy – Oasis Backpackers Mansion is the perfect choice!
Cats Hostel is located in the heart of Porto and is ready to host you!
