Basic Portuguese Phrases for Travellers

European Portuguese sounds quite different from its Brazilian cousin — the vowels are more clipped, consonants are softer, and the rhythm is faster. Portugal has high English proficiency in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve, but stepping into the Alentejo countryside or northern villages, you will find Portuguese is the only option. The language uses the Latin alphabet with a few accented characters, and once you grasp the nasal vowels, pronunciation becomes more predictable.

Greetings and Basics

English	Portuguese	Pronunciation
Hello	Olá	oh-LAH
Good morning	Bom dia	bom DEE-ah
Good afternoon	Boa tarde	BOH-ah TARD
Good evening	Boa noite	BOH-ah NOYT
Goodbye	Adeus	ah-DAY-oosh
Yes / No	Sim / Não	SEEM / NOWNG
Please	Se faz favor / Por favor	seh fahz fah-VOR / por fah-VOR
Thank you (m/f)	Obrigado / Obrigada	oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah
Excuse me	Com licença	kom lee-SEN-sah
I don’t understand	Não compreendo	nowng kom-pree-EN-doo
Do you speak English?	Fala inglês?	FAH-lah in-GLAYSH

Getting Around

English	Portuguese	Pronunciation
Where is…?	Onde fica…?	OND fee-kah
How much does it cost?	Quanto custa?	KWAN-too KOOSH-tah
Left / Right	Esquerda / Direita	esh-KAIR-dah / dee-RAY-tah
Straight ahead	Em frente	em FRENT
Stop here	Pare aqui	PAH-reh ah-KEE
Train station	Estação de comboio	esh-tah-SOWNG deh kom-BOY-oo
Airport	Aeroporto	ah-eh-roh-POR-too
Bus	Autocarro	OW-too-KAH-roo
Tram	Eléctrico	eh-LEH-tree-koo
A ticket, please	Um bilhete, se faz favor	oom bil-YET, seh fahz fah-VOR

Food and Dining

English	Portuguese	Pronunciation
I would like…	Queria…	keh-REE-ah
Water	Água	AH-gwah
Wine (red / white)	Vinho (tinto / branco)	VEEN-yoo (TEEN-too / BRAN-koo)
Coffee (espresso)	Um café	oom kah-FEH
Fish	Peixe	PAY-sh
Chicken	Frango	FRAN-goo
The bill, please	A conta, se faz favor	ah KON-tah, seh fahz fah-VOR
Delicious	Delicioso	deh-lee-see-OH-zoo
Bread	Pão	POWNG
Cod	Bacalhau	bah-kahl-YOW

Numbers

Number	Portuguese	Pronunciation
1	Um / Uma	OOM / OO-mah
2	Dois / Duas	DOYSH / DOO-ahsh
3	Três	TRAYSH
4	Quatro	KWAH-troo
5	Cinco	SEEN-koo
6	Seis	SAYSH
7	Sete	SET
8	Oito	OY-too
9	Nove	NOV
10	Dez	DESH

tours across Portugal covers guided experiences across Portugal — from cultural walking tours to day trips from major cities.

an eSIM for Portugal is a straightforward way to stay connected throughout the country. travel insurance is worth comparing before departure.

Emergency Phrases

English	Portuguese	Pronunciation
Help!	Socorro!	soh-KOH-roo
I need a doctor	Preciso de um médico	preh-SEE-zoo deh oom MEH-dee-koo
Police	Polícia	poh-LEE-see-ah
Hospital	Hospital	osh-pee-TAL
I am lost	Estou perdido/a	esh-TOH per-DEE-doo/dah
Emergency	Urgência	oor-JEN-see-ah

European Portuguese has a few sounds that catch English speakers off guard. The “ão” ending (as in não and pão) is a nasal sound — try saying “owng” through your nose. Final “s” and “z” are pronounced “sh” (so dez sounds like “desh”). Unstressed vowels are often swallowed almost entirely, which is why spoken Portuguese can sound like a Slavic language to untrained ears. Do not let this intimidate you — Portuguese people are patient and encouraging, and even a stumbling bom dia at the pastelaria will earn you a warmer reception than jumping straight to English. For trip planning, our guide to Portugal travel costs covers what to budget, and visa requirements for Portugal explains entry rules by nationality. For the best time to travel, see when to visit Portugal.