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Portuguese phrasebook

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Alphabet
[+] Grammar
[+] Pronunciation guide
[+] Phrase list
- Example
- Basics
- Problems
- Numbers
- [+] Time
- Colors
- [+] Transportation
- Lodging
- Money
- Eating
- Bars
- Shopping
- Driving
- Authority

Portuguese is a Romance language closely related to Spanish, and even more closely related to Galician (in fact, many people consider that Galician and Portuguese are the same language). It is spoken mainly in Portugal and Brazil, with some differences in pronunciation, spelling, and use of pronouns. It is also spoken in Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe, Angola, Mozambique, East Timor, Macau and Goa, Daman and Diu, as the result of the Portuguese discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries. There are around 200 million Portuguese native speakers.

Probably the biggest difference compared to Spanish is the influence from the French language (almost none of which occurs in English). If you know both French and Spanish, you'll have a big head start. However, people who know a little Spanish may hastily conclude that it's close enough that it need not be studied separately. While they may be able to figure out the meaning of some signage, items on a menu, etc., understanding of verbal communication will be very low to nothing. Words such as "gente" (people) are pronounced so differently in Brazilian Portuguese, that you would never recognize them. Also, personal names such as "Jorge Ramos," for example, will be pronounced quite differently as well.

[edit] Alphabet

The Portuguese alphabet (alfabeto) has 23 letters, plus 3 foreign ones. Accented vowels, cedillas (see below), diphthongs, digraphs (including ch), etc. do not count separately. The alphabet is a b c d e f g h i j l m n o p q r s t u v x z with additional characters á à â ã ç é ê í ó ô õ ú ü. By far, the most common diphthong is ão. The alphabet, when pronounced, is similar to Spanish: á bê cê dê é efe gê agá i jota ele eme ene ó pê quê erre esse tê u vê xis zê. The letters k (ká / kápa), w (vê duplo/duplo vê / dábliu/dâbliu), and y (ípsilão) are usually used only on words of foreign origin. In Brazil, this includes most of the indigenous languages, as their writing was developed by German anthropologists. Words such as Kayapó, Wapishana, and Yanomami refer to the names of a few of these indigenous tribes.

[edit] Grammar

[edit] Written vs. spoken

Especially in Brazil, spoken language can be very different from written language and official grammar, confusing non-native speakers. While slang (gíria) is common in Brazil and difficult to understand, it is generally not used around foreigners. Less educated people are likely to use slang a lot. The written language is also much closer to Spanish than what is spoken. But make no mistake, Portuguese is a foreign language for Spanish speakers.

[edit] Gender, plurals, and adjectives

To avoid duplication, see wikibooks. Also, Portuguese words ending in _ão are often, but not always, feminine. Their plurals, most of the time, simply replace _ão with _ões. (Example: a televisão, as televisões) To be sure, look it up in a dictionary.

Unlike most other Romance languages, Portuguese genderizes the names of many countries of the world, and also some cities in Portugal, (but mainly just 'o Rio de Janeiro' in Brazil). Surprisingly, Portugal itself has no gender, along with some of the Portuguese speaking countries in Africa.

[edit] Pronouns for "You"

These can be a little confusing, especially for those transitioning from other Romance languages to Brazilian Portuguese. Originally, você (Spanish usted; French vous) and the plural vocês were the formal "you," while tu and the plural vós were the informal, with all four having separate sets of verbs endings. Today in Brazil, vós is almost never used, and tu used only in certain areas such as the Northeast (nordeste) and Rio Grande do Sul. Where it is used, it is often followed by the same verb endings as você. Thus, virtually all of Brazil does not use the verb endings for tu and vós (i.e. no 2nd person verbs), making it much easier to learn just the remaining four sets. However, most Brazilians do use the informal reflexive pronoun te (based on tu and the same word as Spanish and French). Since this eliminates much of the grammar-based formality, to be formal replace you with o senhor (oh sen-YOUR) for a man, a senhora (ah sen-YOUR-ah) for a woman, and a senhorita (ah sen-your-REE-tah) for a young unmarried lady. This can also be done just before their name (equivalent to Mr., Mrs., and Miss respectively), or it can be spoken by itself initially (with or without a name) in order to get someone's attention.

In Portugal, vós is rarely used anymore except in some isolated regions of the country. Tu is used with its own verb set, making você sound somewhat more formal than in many parts of Brazil. However, to be extra formal use o senhor, a senhora, and a senhorita. Short-term tourists could easily get by without learning the tu verbs, and they are not used in this Phrasebook. As an obvious foreigner, it's very unlikely any child will think you're being sarcastic if you use você in speaking to them. Also, Brazilian television programs are popular in Portugal, and the use of Brazilian Portuguese should not raise an eyebrow. However, the reverse is not true, and many Brazilians have trouble understanding European Portuguese (Luso).

[edit] Dropping the plural in Brazil

Informal speech in Brazil may avoid the plural altogether by using a gente (the people) for we and todo mundo (entire world) for they. Both forms use 3rd person singular. Of course, todo mundo applies only to people, not things. Be careful outside Brazil where toda a gente is the same as todo mundo. Unfortunately, this isn't much of a short cut, as the we form is by far the easiest, and the they form is still needed for objects.

[edit] Other Pronouns

In Brazil, it's very common (though technically incorrect) to use ele/a as the object pronoun for "it." Eu encontrei ele. I found it. If the "it" is intangible, best to change to the Portuguese genderless word for "this." Amo muito tudo isso. I'm loving it.

eu: I
ele: he, it (m)
ela: she, it (f)

nós: we
eles: they, them (mixed gender ok)
elas: they, them (all females/feminine)

[edit] Avoid confusion with third person possessives

Possessives are used like the definite articles (o,a, os, as) and are genderized by what is being possessed -- NOT who possesses them (as in English his/her).

Beware, seu(s) and sua(s) can either mean your (second person), or his/her/their (third person). The default is the second person. Only if there is no possibility that it could belong to "you" is the third person allowed. (Exception: if the tu or vós forms are being used, then seu/sua become the 3rd person.) Sua boca = your mouth. Seu carro = your car. But if you don't have a car, then it means "his or her car." If you do have a car, and they want to talk about someone else's car, then they have to say o carro dele (the car of his), or o carro dela (the car of hers). Notice that dele/dela (unlike regular possessives) are based on who possesses them (like English). Needless to say, this can all be very confusing and requires practice.

[edit] Verbs

This topic is much too complex for a phrasebook. In general though, infinitive verbs (i.e. as found in the dictionary) end in _ar, _er, and _ir (like Spanish) plus there's one irregular infinitive pôr (to put). A lot of the most common verbs are irregular (except in the we form), and must be memorized. Você, ele, ela, (and usually tu in Brazil -- see above) share the same verb set, as do (separately) vocês, eles, and elas.

[edit] Pronunciation guide

Portuguese has nasal vowels and reduced vowels and nearly everyone struggles to learn them correctly (except, perhaps, for fluent French speakers, but even they will have an accent). If you don't reduce the vowels you will still be understood but you will sound over-enunciating. If you don't nasalize the vowels, you can easily be misunderstood: mão means "hand", while mau means "bad." So, be extra careful not to ouch the ão sound. For starters, try something in between English no and now for não (which means English no). A good native pronunciation of this diphthong will take lots of listening and practice. The nasals are transcribed as "ng", but don't pronounce "ng" as a consonant.

Brazilian and Luso (European Portuguese) pronunciation differ, and within Brazil, there are regional differences as well. The pronunciation of Minas Gerais is especially difficult, for its tendency to merge syllables, reduce vowels, affricate consonants, etc. In the Northeast, the consonants tend to be harder and the vowels longer. The populous region surrounding Rio, São Paulo, and Curitiba generally follow the Rio pronunciation in this guide where indicated (though they do have their own distinctive accents). If there is no separate mention for Rio, then it is the same as the rest of Brazil.

Beware (especially if you know some Spanish) that words ending in i and u are stressed on the last syllable without any accent mark, as are those ending in a constant other than m or s (except im/ins and um/uns).

[edit] Vowels

Nasal Vowels

Like French, Portuguese has its share of nasal vowels. These are written in one of three ways:

A tilde over the vowel: ã, õ
Any vowel followed by m or n
The diphthong ui (e.g. muito)

Most often, nasal vowels occur at the end of a word.

a: like father
ã: like détente
e: like set, say, or eight. Often dropped at ends of words in Portugal but not in Brazil, where it is reduced to i.
closed e: like herd. Often spelled with an accent mark: ê

Note this can be much shorter than the Spanish 'e.' See also the diphthong ei

i: like machine
o: between sort and book in Portugal. In Brazil it is usually rounded (like in cold) except at the end of a word, when it is pronounced as a short oo, as in the English word to. See also the diphthong ou.
open o: like in hot.
õ: like French sont (say "song" and drop the final consonant)
u: like soup or book

[edit] Consonants

In Brazil, using the English "R" sound in the beginning of words can cause confusion. Use the English "H" sound (or the French R) instead. The M is also nasalised at the end of words (sim, mim) and the English "M" sound should be dropped even if the next word begins with a vowel. In this phrasebook, it's represented by an N (the closest possible sound). Also, be careful with words containing "Te" and "Ti" (see below).

b: like 'b' in "bed"
c: like 'c' in "cat"
ce ci: like in cell and civil.
ç: like 's' in soft or super. The mark below the letter "c" is called a cedilla in English or cedilha in Portuguese. It is used to force the soft C before vowels other than E or I.
d: like 'd' in "dog". In some regions of Brazil (e.g. Rio) it is affricate before i (like in dia sounding roughly like an English "j": "jeea").
f: like 'f' in "father"
g: like 'g' in "good"
ge gi: like 's' in "treasure". (Like French je.) Note: this is completely different from Spanish.
h: Silent. See Common digraphs below and r and rr for the English "h" sound. Note: many Spanish words starting with this silent "H" begin with "F" in Portuguese.
j: like 's' in "treasure". (Like French je.) Note: this is completely different from Spanish.
(k): Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. Mostly, like 'c' in "cat". (Not part of Portuguese alphabet.) See letters c and q for the English "k" sound.
l: like 'l' in "love". The final L is vocalised (like in "cold"). Brazilians will make it a "u" sound (like in "mal" sounding like the English "ow", as in "now".)
m...: like 'm' in "mother".
...m: Nasalizes the preceding vowel, and is dropped at the end of a word (Luso). Letter 'N' used in the phrasebook for Brazilian pronunciation.
n: like nice. Nasalizes the preceding vowel and is silent when followed by a consonant. (See Common digraphs below.)
p: like 'p' in "pig"
q: like "unique". Qu is usually followed by e or i as a way to get the k sound. Words with qua will sound just as 'qua' in the English word "quack".
r...: like 'h' in "help", only harder. See also RR in Common Digraphs below. It is often pronounced as the Spanish J, especially in Brazil.
...r: like 'r' in "morning" or the (usually dropped) 'r' in British pronunciation.
...r...: like the Spanish 'r' (and similar to English).

fresta (FRES-tah) a loophole
hora (OH-rah) hour, time

s: like "hiss" at the beginning of words, "haze" between vowels, "sure" in Luso dialect and final position/before consonants in Rio de Janeiro, or as s elsewhere (like the regular plural ending sound in English).
t: like 't' in "top"

Brazil only -- except some areas near Argentina and Uruguay:
...te (if unstressed, i.e. no accent mark)
te + a... (the 'a' is pronounced in the next syllable)
ti (in any syllable)
like 'chee' in cheese
Note this is completely different from Spanish

teatro (chee-AHT-roh) theatre
tipo (CHEE-po) type
rotina (ho-CHEE-nah) routine
assisti (ah-sist-CHEE) I watched/helped/attended
teste (TES-chee) test
até (ah-TEH) until

v: like 'v' in "victory"
(w): Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. Mostly pronounced as 'v' (Volkswagen) or 'u' (Wilson). (Not part of Portuguese alphabet.)
x: like "box", "shoe", "zip" or even "yes". The correct pronunciation of the X is not easy to deduce. In Brazil, the sh sound is most often correct (but not always).
(y): Found only in words of foreign origin, so pronounce accordingly. (Not part of Portuguese alphabet.) The digraph lh produces a sound similar to the English consonant "y". (see Common digraphs below)
z: like 'z' in "zebra," or like sh or s when final ("paz", "luz")

[edit] Common diphthongs

Note: Two vowels together not listed as diphthongs usually means a syllable split. Example: ia in Bahia. Any accent mark (not counting the tilde such as ão and õe) will split a diphthong into two regular vowels (see above).

am: same as ão, but unstressed andam they walk
ai: like bike (often equivalent to Spanish 'AY' but not always a diphthong) praia beach
ão: similar to uwng (u as in cup) dão they give
au: like house Manaus Brazilian city in the Amazon

ei: In Brazil: like say (best equivalent to Spanish 'E') meio half. In Portugal: like why or bye (the i or y sound).
eu: the e vowel plus a w semivowel (no equivalent in English) Europa Europe
em: nasal ei, similar to rain também also

oi: like boy oito eight
om: same as õ som sound
ou: as in own ouro gold
õe: nasal oi ele põe he puts

[edit] Common digraphs

ch: like machine (sh sound) Note this is completely different from Spanish. In Brazil, letter t when followed by i or final e produces the Spanish & English "ch" sound (see above).

chuva (SHOU-vah) rain

lh: like million (equivalent to Spanish LL) Note: Spanish words starting with "LL" very often convert to "CH" (with the sh sound) in Portuguese (see above)

velho (VEH-yo) old

...nh...: like canyon (equivalent to Spanish Ñ)

banho (BAN-yo) bath; piranha (pee-RAHN-yah) man-eating fish

...nr...: the r is pronounced like help

honra (OH-ha) honor

...rr...: In Brazil, like help (same as R at the beginning of a word). In Portugal, usually trilled more vigorously than Spanish RR.

cachorro (cah-SHOW-rroh (Port.) / cah-SHOW-ho (Brazil)) dog

...ss...: prevents the sonorisation of the S between vowels.

assado (ah-SAHD-oh) roasted

[edit] Phrase list

To ask a question in Portuguese use rising intonation to distinguish it from a statement. This will seem natural as English also uses rising intonation in questions, but Portuguese has no equivalent for Do...?, Did...?, Don't...?, etc.

Also, note in the following example that você (you) -- not tem (have) -- is the first word in the question. Without the question mark, it is no different than a statement. Reversing these first two words (as is often done in Spanish) would sound very archaic (if allowed at all), especially in Brazilian Portuguese.

[edit] Example

(Do) you have a battery for this?: Você tem uma pilha para isto? (voh-SAY ten U-mah PEEL-yah PAH-rah EES-toh?)

[edit] Basics

Hello.: Bom dia. (bon DEE-ah / JEE-ah (Rio))
Hello. (informal): Olá. (O-lá)
Thank you. (said by a man): Obrigado. (ob-ree-GAH-doo)
Thank you. (said by a woman): Obrigada. (ob-ree-GAH-dah)
How are you?: Como está? (KOH-moh ish-TAH?) also: Como vai você? in Brazil
How are you?: Tudo bem? (TOO-do BENG?) also Tudo bom? (bahn) Very common in Brazil.
Fine, thank you.: Bem, obrigado/a (BENG, ob-ree-GAH-doo/dah) Also, you can informally say "Tudo bem/bon."
Everything is OK. (Lit. "All is well"): Tudo Bem. (TOO-do BENG)
What is your name? (Lit. "How are you called?"): Como se chama? (KOH-moh se SHA-ma?)
What is your name? (Literal): Qual é o seu nome? Preferred in Brazil.
My name is ______ .: (O) meu nome é ______ . ({oh} mew NOME ey _____ .) The "O" is usually omitted in the NE of Brazil.
Nice to meet you.: Muito prazer (em conhecê-lo). (MOOY-to pra-ZEHR eng koh-nye-SEH-lo) The final part is dropped in Brazil.
Please (Lit. "As a favor"): Por favor. (pohr fa-VOHR)
You're welcome (Lit. "For nothing"): De nada. (je NAH-dah)
Yes.: Sim. (SEE (Port.) / SEEN (Brazil))
No.: Não. (NOWNG)

No (not any) + noun: Nenhum(a) (nen-HOON(-ah))
Excuse me. (getting attention): Com licença (kong lee-SEN-sa)
Excuse me. (begging pardon): Desculpe-me. (desh-KULP-me (Port.)/ desh-KUL-pay-me (Brazil))
I'm sorry.: Desculpe. (desh-KULP (Port.)/ desh-KUL-pay (Brazil))
I'm sorry. (Lit. "pardon"): Perdão. (per-DAWNG)
Goodbye (formal or permanent): Adeus. (uh-DEOOSH)
Goodbye (informal): Tchau. (CHOW)
See you later: Até logo. (ah-TEH LOH-goo)
I can't speak Portuguese [well].: Não falo [bem] Português. (NOWNG fah-loo [beng] por-too-GEZH)
Do you speak English?: Fala Inglês? (fah-lah ing-GLEZH?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: Há aqui alguém que fale Inglês? (AH ah-KEE al-GENG keh FAH-leh ing-GLEZH?)
Help!: Socorro! (soo-KOO-hoo!)
Good day/Good morning.: Bom dia. (bon DEE-ah/ JEE-ah (Rio))
Good afternoon (also early evening): Boa tarde. (bo-ah /TARD (Port)/ TAR-dee (Brazil)/ TAR-jay (Rio))
Good evening (also nightime): Boa noite. (bo-ah NOIT (Port.)/ NOI-chee (Brazil))
I don't understand.: Não compreendo. (NOWNG kom-pre-EN-doo)
I don't understand. (In Brazil): Não entendo (NOWNG en-TEN-do)
Where is the toilet? (Port.): Onde é a casa-de-banho? (OND eh a KAH-sah de BAH-nyoo? (Port.))
Where is the toilet? (Brazil): Onde é o banheiro? (OND-de (Brazil) / OND-je (Rio) eh o bahn-YAIR-row?)

[edit] Problems

Leave me alone.: Deixe-me em paz. (DEY-sheh meh eng PAZH)
Don't touch me!: Não me toque! (NOWNG meh TOH-keh!)
I'll call the police.: Eu chamo a polícia. (yoo SHAH-moo a poh-LEE-see-ah)
Police!: Polícia! (poh-LEE-see-ah!)
Stop! Thief!: Pára! Ladrão! (PAH-rah! lah-DROWNG!)
I need your help.: Preciso da sua ajuda. (preh-SEE-zoo dah SOO-ah ah-ZHOO-dah)
It's an emergency.: É uma emergência. (EH oo-mah eh-mer-ZHENG-see-ah)
I'm lost.: Estou perdido/...da. (SOW per-DEE-doo/ per-JEE-doo (Rio)...dah)
I lost my bag.: Perdi a minha mala [bolsa]. (per-DEE / per-JEE (Rio) a meen-yah MAH-lah)
I lost my wallet.: Perdi a minha carteira.(pehr-DEE / per-JEE (Rio) ah MEE-nyah cahr-TAY-rah)
I'm sick.: Estou doente. (ish-TOW doo-AYN-teh (Port.) / doo-AYN-chay (Brazil))
I've been injured.: Estou ferido/da. (ish-TOW feh-REE-doo/dah)
I need a doctor.: Preciso de um médico. (preh-SEE-zoo deh oong MEH-dee-koo / MEH-jee-koo (Rio))
Can I use your phone?: Posso usar o seu telefone? (POH-soo oo-ZAR oo seoo teh-leh-FOWN (Port.) / teh-leh-FOW-nay (Brazil)?)

[edit] Numbers

Note: Spanish speakers need to practice pronunciation of Portuguese numbers to be understood, even though they are quite similar in written form. Give particular attention to dropped middle syllables in numbers 7,9,10, and those ending in e for Luso and te for Brazil.

1: um(m)/uma(f) (oong / OO-mah)
2: dois(m)/duas(f) (doysh / DOO-ash)
3: três (treysh)
4: quatro (KWAT-roh)
5: cinco (SING-koo)
6: seis/meia (seysh/may-ah) Use meia in a numerical series (e.g. phone numbers, postal codes, etc.) to prevent confusion with "três". "Meia" is short for "meia-dúzia" (half-a-dozen).
7: sete (set (Port.) / setch (Brazil))
8: oito (OY-too)
9: nove (nov (Port.)/ NOH-vee (Brazil))
10: dez (dezh)
11: onze (ongz (Port.) / ONG-zay (Brazil) )
12: doze (doz (Port.)/ DOH-zay (Brazil) )
13: treze (trez (Port.) / TRE-zay (Brazil))
14: catorze (kah-TORZ (Port.)/ kah-TOH-zay (Brazil))
15: quinze (keengz (Port.)/ KEENG-zee (Brazil))
16: dezasseis (Port.) (deh-zah-SEYSH)
: dezesseis (Brazil)(deh-zay-SEYSH)
17: dezassete (Port.)(deh-zah-SET )
: dezessete (Brazil) (deh-zay-SET-chay )
18: dezoito (dezh-OY-too)
19: dezanove (Port.) (deh-zah-NOV )
: dezenove (Brazil) (day-zay-NOH-vay)
20: vinte (veengt (Port.)/ VEEN-chee (Brazil))
21: vinte-um/uma (veengt (Port.)/ VEEN-chee (Brazil) oong/OO-mah)
22: vinte-dois/duas (veengt (Port.)/ VEEN-chee (Brazil) doysh/DOO-ash)
23: vinte-três (veengt (Port.)/ VEEN-chee (Brazil) trezh)
30: trinta (TREEN-tah)
40: quarenta (kwah-REN-tah)
50: cinquenta (Port.) (sing-KWEN-tah)
: cinqüenta (Brazil) (sing-KWEN-tah)
60: sessenta (seh-SEN-tah)
70: setenta (seh-TEN-tah)
80: oitenta (oy-TEN-tah)
90: noventa (no-VEN-tah)
100: cem (seng)
200: duzentos/as (...)
300: trezentos/as (...)
500: quinhentos/as (keen-YENG-toosh)
1000: mil (meel)
2000: dois mil (doysh meel)
1,000,000: milhão (meel-YOWNG)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.): número _____ (NU-may-ro)
half: metade (me-TAHD (Port.)/ me-TAHD-day (Brazil)/ me-TAHD-jay (Rio))
less: menos (MEH-noosh)
more: mais (mighsh)

[edit] Time

now: agora (ah-GOH-rah)
later: depois (deh-POYSH)
before: antes de (ANtesh deh)
morning: manhã (mah-NYAHNG)
afternoon: tarde (tahrd (Port.)/ TAHR-day (Brazil)/TAHR-jay (Rio))
evening: Use afternoon ("tarde") for early evening, and night ("noite") for late evening. Unlike English, "boa noite" is used as an initial greeting and not just to say goodbye.
night: noite (NOIT (Port.)/ NOI-chay (Brazil))

[edit] Clock time

Note: In a sentence add é just before one o'clock, noon and midnight, and são just before two through eleven o'clock. (English equivalent of "it is..."). Unlike Spanish, the definite article (Span. la; Port. a) is not used.

one o'clock AM: uma hora da manhã (uma OH-ra dah man-yah)
two o'clock AM: duas horas da manhã (duash OH-ras dah man-yah)
noon: meio-dia (mayo deeah/ jeeah (Rio))
one o'clock PM: uma hora da tarde (uma OH-ra dah tahrd (Port.)/ TAHR-day (Brazil))
two o'clock PM: duas horas da tarde (duash OH-ras dah tahrd (Port.)/ TAHR-day (Brazil))
half past three PM: três e meia da tarde (...)
midnight: meia-noite (may-a noyt (Port.)/ NOY-tay (Brazil)

[edit] Duration

_____ minute(s): _____ minuto(s) (mee-NU-toh)
_____ hour(s): _____ hora(s) (OH-ra)
_____ day(s): _____ dia(s) (DEE-ah/ JEE-ah (Rio))
_____ week(s): _____ semana(s) (seh-MAH-nah)
_____ month(s): _____ mês(meses) (mayse)
_____ year(s): _____ ano(s) (ahno)

[edit] Days

today: hoje (ohzh (Port.)/ OHZH-gee (Brazil))
yesterday: ontem (OHN-taym)
tomorrow: amanhã (a-mahn-YAHNG)
this week: esta semana (esh-tah seh-MAH-nah)
last week: a semana passada (ah s'MAH-nah pah-SAH-dah)
next week: próxima semana (prah-ZEE-mah s'MAH-nah)

Sunday: domingo (doh-MING-goo)
Monday: segunda-feira (seh-GOON-dah fey-rah)
Tuesday: terça-feira (TEHR-sah fey-rah)
Wednesday: quarta-feira (KWAR-tah fey-rah)
Thursday: quinta-feira (KEEN-tah fey-rah)
Friday: sexta-feira (SESH-tah fey-rah)
Saturday: sábado (SAH-bah-doo)

[edit] Months

January: Janeiro (zhah-NEY-roo)
February: Fevereiro (fev-REY-roo)
March: Março (MAR-soo)
April: Abril (ah-BREEL)
May: Maio (MY-yo)
June: Junho (JUN-yoo)
July: Julho (JUHL-yoo)
August: Agosto (AGOSH-too)
September: Setembro (S'tembroo)
October: Outubro (Oh-TOO-broo)
November: Novembro (Noo-VEM-broo)
December: Dezembro (D'ZEM-broo)

[edit] Writing Time and Date

21 September 2005 (UK)/September 21, 2005 (USA) 21 de setembro de 2005, "vinte-um de setembro de dois mil cinco"

Time is written with "h" as in French: 8h30; or with a colon or period. The 24-hour clock is often used.

[edit] Colors

Most adjectives change the final o to a in the feminine and add s (pronounced sh) to form the plural. If the adjective ends in "a", there is no separate masculine form.

black: preto (PREH-toh)
white: branco (BRAHNG-ko)
gray: cinzento (see-ZHEN-toh)
red: vermelho (ver-MEH-lyoo)
blue: azul (ah-ZOOL), pl. azuis (ah-ZOOEYSH)
yellow: amarelo (ah-mah-REH-lo)
green: verde (VEHR-deh (Port.)/ VEHR-day (Brazil)/ VEHR-jay (Rio))
orange: laranja (lah-RANG-jah)
purple: roxo (HOH-show)
violet: violeta (vee-oh-LAY-tah)
pink: cor de rosa (Cohr day HOH-sah / Cohr jay HOH-sah (Rio))
brown (Port.): castanho (cah-STAHN-yo)
brown (Brazil): marrom (mah-HON)
dark brown (skin): moreno (mor-RAY-no) / (pele) morena (PAY-lee mor-RAY-nah)

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Bus and Train

How much is a ticket to _____?: Quanto custa uma passagem [bilhete in Portugal] para _____? (...)
One ticket to _____, please.: Uma passagem para _____, por favor. (...)
Where does this train/bus go?: Para onde vai o comboio [trem in Brazil]/autocarro [ônibus in Brazil]? (...)
Where is the train/bus to _____?: Onde é o comboio/autocarro para _____? (...)
Does this train/bus stop in _____?: Este comboio/autocarro pára em _____? (...)
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?: Quando parte [sai in Brazil] o comboio/autocarro para _____? (...)
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?: Quando chega este comboio/autocarro a _____? (...)

[edit] Directions

How do I get to _____ ?: Como vou _____ ? (KOH-moh vow)
...the train station?: ...à estação de comboios(Port.)/trem(Br.)? (...)
...the bus station?: ...à estação de autocarros(Port.)/ônibus(Br.)? (ah ish-ta-SOWN duh ow-too-CAR-oosh / dje OH-nee-boos)
...the airport?: ...ao aeroporto? (ow ah-eh-roo-POHR-too)
...downtown?: ...à baixa(Port.)/ao centro(Br.)? (ah BAIshah / ow SEN-troo)
...the youth hostel?: ...à pousada de juventude? (Ah poo-ZAHdah deh zhu-VEN-tud / zhu-ven-TUD-jay (Brazil))
...the _____ hotel?: ...ao hotel _____? (ow oh-TEL)
...a nightclub/bar?: ...a uma boate/bar/festa/farra? (...)
...an Internet café?: ...a um lan house?(Br.) (...)
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?: ...ao consulado americano/canadiano/australiana/britânico? (...)
Where are there a lot of...: Onde há muitos/muitas... (OHND ah MOOY-tosh/tash...)
...hotels?: ...hotéis? (oh-TEYSH)
...restaurants?: ...restaurantes? (resh-tau-RAN-t'sh)
...bars?: ...bares? (barsh)
...sites to see?: ...sítios(Port.)/lugares(Br.) para visitar? (SEE-tee-osh/loo-GAH-hes pah-rah vee-zee-TAR)
...women?: ...mulheres? (moo-LYEH-resh)
Can you show me on the map?: Pode mostrar-me no mapa? (pod mushTRARM noo MAHpah ?)
street: rua (HOO-ah)
Turn left.: Vire à esquerda. (VEER ah esh-KEHR-dah)
Turn right.: Vire à direita. (VEER ah dee-RAY-tah / jee-RAY-tah (Rio))
left: esquerdo (esh-KEHR-doo)
right: direito (dee-RAY-too / jee-RAY-too (Rio))
straight ahead: sempre em frente (Sempr' eim frent/ FREN-chee (Brazil))
towards the _____: na direcção de _____ (nah dee-rek-SOWN duh)
past the _____: depois de _____ (depoish deh)
before the _____: antes de _____ (ant'sh deh)
Watch for the _____.: Procure o/a _____. (...)
intersection: cruzamento (kroo-zah-MEN-too)
north: norte (NOHR-te(Port.) / NOHR-chee or nortch (Brazil))
south: sul (sool)
east: leste (LESHt or ESHt (Port.) / LESH-chee (Brazil))
west: oeste (oh-ESHt (Port.) / oh-ES-chee (Brazil))
uphill: subida (sooBEEdah)
downhill: descida (deshSEEdah)

[edit] Taxi

Taxi!: Táxi! (Tak-see)
Take me to _____, please.: Leve-me para _____, por favor. (...)
How much does it cost to get to _____?: Quanto custa ir para _____? (KWAN-to CUSH-tah eer pah-rah______)
Take me there, please.: Leve-me lá, por favor. (...)
Follow that car!: Siga aquele carro! (SEEgah AHkelE kaROO / cah-HOO (Brazil))
Try to not hit any pedestrian.: Tente não atropelar nenhum pedestre. (...)
Stop staring me this way!: Pare de olhar para mim desta maneira! (...)
OK, let's go, then.: OK, então vamos. (Okay entaum vamosh)

[edit] Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?: Tem quartos disponíveis? (teng KWAHR-toosh dish-po-NEE-veysh?)
How much is a room for one person/two people?: Quanto custa um quarto para uma/duas pessoa(s)? (KWAHN-too KOOSH-tah oong KWAHR-too pah-rah OO-mah/DOO-ash PESS-wa(sh)?)
Does the room come with...: O quarto tem... (oo KWAHR-too teng)
...bedsheets?: ...lençóis? (len-SOYSH?)
...a bathroom?: ...uma banheira? (oo-mah bah-NYAY-rah?)
...a telephone?: ...um telefone? (oon teh-leh-FONE? (Port.) / teh-leh-FOW-nee (Brazil))
...a TV?: ...um televisor? (oon teh-leh-VEE-zor?)
May I see the room first?: Posso ver o quarto primeiro? (POH-soo vehr oo KWAHR-too pree-MAY-roo?)
Do you have anything quieter?: Tem algo mais calmo? (teng AHL-goo mighsh KAHL-moo?)
...bigger?: ...maior? (mah-YOHR?)
...cleaner?: ...mais limpo? (mighsh LIM-poo?)
...cheaper?: ...mais barato? (mighsh buh-RAH-too?)
OK, I'll take it.: OK, fico com ele. (FEE-coo com EL-ee)
I will stay for _____ night(s).: Ficarei _____ noite(s). (fee-car-AY _____ NO-ee-chee(s))
Can you suggest another hotel?: Pode sugerir outro hotel? (...)
Do you have a safe?: Tem um cofre? (...)
...lockers?: ...cadeados? (...)
Is breakfast/supper included?: O pequeno-almoço/ceia está incluído/a? (...)
What time is breakfast/supper?: A que horas é o pequeno-almoço/ceia? (...)
Please clean my room.: Por favor limpe o meu quarto. (...)
Can you wake me at _____?: Pode acordar-me às _____? (...)
I want to check out.: Quero fazer o registo de saída. (...)

[edit] Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?: Aceita dólares americanos/australianos/canadianos? (...)
Do you accept British pounds?: Aceita libras esterlinas? (...)
Do you accept credit cards?: Aceita cartões de crédito? (...)
Can you change money for me?: Pode trocar-me dinheiro? (...)
Where can I get money changed?: Onde posso trocar dinheiro? (Ond/ON-dee (Brazil)/ ON-jee (rio) POH-soh troCAR dee-NYEY-roo)
Can you change a Traveler's Cheque for me?: Pode trocar-me um cheque de viagem (or ... um Traveler's Cheque)? (...)
Where can I get a Traveler's Cheque changed?: Onde posso trocar um cheque de viagem (or ... um Traveler's Cheque)? (...)
What is the exchange rate?: Qual é a taxa de câmbio? (qual eh ah tasha d'cam-BEE-oh?)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?: Onde há um Multibanco? (Ond/ ON-dee (Brazil)/ ON-jee (rio)ah omm MultiBANcu)

[edit] Eating

A table for one person/two people, please.: Uma mesa para uma/duas pessoa(s), por favor. (...)
Can I look at the menu, please?: Posso ver o menu, por favor? (...)
Can I look in the kitchen?: Posso ver a cozinha, por favor? (...)
Is there a house specialty?: Ha uma especialidade da casa? (...)
Is there a local specialty?: Há uma especialidade local? (...)
I'm a vegetarian.: Sou vegetariano. (...)
I don't eat pork.: Não como porco. (...)
I only eat kosher food.: Só como kosher. (...)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard): Pode fazê-lo mais "leve" (menos óleo, manteiga, banha), por favor? (...)
half portion: meia-dose (MEY-a dohz)
full portion: uma dose (OO-mah dohz)
fixed-price meal: refeição de preço fixo (...)
à la carte: a la carte (...)
breakfast: pequeno-almoço (...)
lunch: almoço (...)
tea (meal): lanche (...)
supper: jantar (...)
fruit-and-vegetable store: sacolão (sah-koh-LOWN)
bread store: padaria (pah-dah-REE-ah)
I want _____.: Quero _____. (...)
I want a dish containing _____.: Quero um prato de _____. (...)
chicken: frango(...)
beef: bife (...)
fish: peixe (peysh)
snake: cobra (...)

ham: fiambre (...)
sausage: salsicha (...)
cheese: queijo (KAY-zhoo)
eggs: ovos (...)
salad: salada (...)
barbecue/roasted meat: churrasco (...)
beef, poached eggs, rice, french fries, lettuce and tomatoes: a la minuta (...)
beef, poached eggs, rice, beans, lettuce and tomatoes: completão comercial (...)
beef, poached eggs, rice, beans, pasta, lettuce and tomatoes: completão industrial (...)
(fresh) vegetables: vegetais (frescos)(...)
(fresh) fruit: fruta (fresca) (...)
pineapple: In Brazil: abacaxi (ah-bah-kah-SHEE)
Elsewhere: ananas (ah-nah-NAHSH)
acerola: acerola (ah-se-ROH-lah)
cashew: caju (kah-ZHOO)
In Brazil, this is the fruit; the nut is called castanha de caju (kash-TAH-nya ji kah-ZHOO).
guanabana, soursop: graviola (grah-vee-OH-lah)
starfruit: carambola (kah-ram-BOH-lah)
persimmon: In Brazil: caqui (KAH-kee)
In Portugal: dióspiro (dee-OSS-pee-roo)
strawberry: morango (moh-RAHNG-goo)
bread: pão (powng), pl. pães (pighngsh)
toast: torrada (...)
noodles: noodles (...)
rice: arroz (ah-ROZH)
whole grain: grão integral (grown een-cheh-GROWL)
This is said of brown rice too (arroz integral, not arroz castanho).
beans: feijões (...)
N.B. Do not confuse feijão, pl. feijões, beans, with the feijoa, a small guava-like fruit.
May I have a glass of _____?: Quero um copo de _____? (...)
May I have a cup of _____?: Quero uma chávena(Port.)/xícara(Br.) de _____? (...)
May I have a bottle of _____?: Quero uma garrafa _____? (...)
coffee: café(...)
tea (drink): chá (...)
juice (Port.): sumo (SOO-moo)
juice (Brazil): suco (SOO-koo)
(bubbly) water: água com gás (...)
water: água (AH-gwah)
beer: cerveja (ser-VAY-zhah)
yerba mate: erva-mate/tererê/chimarrão (ehr-vah mah-TEH / _MAH-chee (Brazil) / teh-heh-HEH / shee-mah-HOWN)
red/white wine: vinho tinto/branco (...)
with/without: com/sem (kong/seng)
ice: gelo (ZHEH-loo)
sugar: açúcar (ah-SOO-kar)
sweetener: adoçante (ah-doh-SAHN-chee)
May I have some _____?: Pode me dar _____? (...)
salt: sal (sahl)
black pepper: pimenta negra (...)
butter: manteiga (mahn-TAY-gah)
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): Desculpe, empregado? (...) (Note: use "garçom" in Brazil in this case. Empregado sounds a bit disrespectful, for it means literally "employee".)
I'm finished: Já acabei. (zhah ah-kah-BAY)
I'm full: Estou farto/a (is-tow FAGH-too/tah)
It was delicious.: Estava delicioso. (is-TAH-vah deh-lee-SYOH-zoo)
Please clear the plates.: Por favor limpe os pratos.(Pt.)/ Por favor retire os pratos.(Br.) (...)
The check, please.: A conta, por favor. (...)

[edit] Bars

Do you serve alcohol?: Servem álcool? (...)
Is there table service?: Há serviço de mesas? (...)
A beer/two beers, please.: Uma cerveja/duas cervejas, por favor. (...)
A glass of red/white wine, please.: Um copo de vinho tinto/branco, por favor. (Oom KOH-poh d'Vinyoo TINtoo, por faVOR)
A pint, please.: Uma caneca, por favor. (...)
A bottle, please.: Uma garrafa, por favor. (...)
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.: _____ and _____, please. (...)
whiskey: whisky (wiss-kee)
vodka: vodka (...)
rum: rum (room)
Brazilian national drink (sugar cane brandy): birita/cachaça/canha (bee-HEE-tah / kah-SHAH-sah / KAH-nyah)
water: água (AH-gwah)
club soda: club soda (...)
tonic water: água tónica (...)
orange juice (Port.): sumo de laranja (SOO-moo duh lah-RAHN-zhah)
orange juice (Brazil): suco de laranja (SOU-koh day lah-RAHN-jah)

Coke (soda): Coca-Cola (...), or Coca
Do you have any bar snacks?: Tem aperitivos? (...)
One more, please.: Mais um/uma, por favor. (...)
Another round, please.: Mais uma rodada, por favor. (...)
When is closing time?: A que horas fecham? (...)

[edit] Shopping

Do you have this in my size?: Tem isto no meu tamanho? (...)
How much is this?: Quanto custa? (...)
That's too expensive.: É muito caro. (...)
Would you take _____?: Aceita _____? (...)
expensive: caro (...)
cheap: barato (...)
I can't afford it.: Não tenho dinheiro suficiente. (...)
I don't want it.: Não quero. (...)
I'm not interested.: Não estou interessado/a. (..)
OK, I'll take it.: OK, eu levo. (...)
Can I have a bag?: Dá-me um saco? (...)
Do you ship (overseas)?: Envia para outros países? (...)
I need...: Preciso de... (...)
...toothpaste.: ...pasta de dentes. (...)
...a toothbrush.: ...escova de dentes. (...)
...tampons.: ...tampões. (...)
...soap.: ...sabonete. (...)
...shampoo.: ...champô. (...)
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen): ...aspirina. (...)
...cold medicine.: ...remédio para resfriado. (...)
...stomach medicine.: ...remédio para as dores de estômago. (...)
...a razor.: ...uma lâmina. (...)
...an umbrella.: ...um chapéu de chuva(Pt.)/guarda-chuva(Br.). (...)
...sunblock lotion.: ...protector solar. (...)
...a postcard.: ...um cartão postal (...)
...(postage) stamps.: ...selos (de correio). (...)
...batteries.: ...pilhas. (...)
...a pen.: ...uma caneta. (...)
...English-language books.: ...livros em inglês. (...)
...English-language magazines.: ...revista em inglês. (...)
...an English-language newspaper.: ...jornais em inglês. (...)
...an English-Portuguese dictionary.: ...um dicionário de inglês-português. (...)

[edit] Driving

car, automobile, etc.: carro (CAH ho)
I want to rent a car.: Quero alugar um carro. (...)
Can I get insurance?: Posso fazer um seguro? (...)
breakdown (car doesn't work): avaria (...)
stop (on a street sign): Port: stop (...)
Br: pare (PAH-reh)
one way: sentido único (...)
yield: yield (...)
no parking: estacionamento proibido (...)
speed limit: limite de velocidade (...)
gas (petrol) station: Port. - estação de serviço (...) / Br. - posto de gasolina (...')
petrol: gasolina (...)
diesel: gasóleo/diesel (...)
towing enforced: sujeito a reboque
trunk (US), boot (UK): porta-malas (...)
back seat: banco traseiro (...)
driver's seat: banco do motorista (...)
passenger's seat: banco do passageiro (...)
steering wheel: volante (...)
tire (US), tyre (UK): pneu (...)
parking/emergency/hand brake: freio de estacionamento/ emergência/ mão (...)
brake pedal: freio de pé (Brazil)/ travão de pé (Luso) (...)
brakes (in general): breques (Brazil)/ travões (Luso) (...)
alternator: alternador (...)
fan belt: correia de ventilador (...)
radiator: radiador (hah-dee-AH-dor / hah-jee-AH-dor (Rio))

[edit] Authority

It's his/her fault!: A culpa é dele/dela! (...)
Its not what its seems.: Não é o que está parecendo. (...)
I can explain it all.: Eu posso explicar tudo. (...)
I haven't done anything wrong.: Não fiz nada de errado. (...)
I swear I didn't do it Mr. Officer.: Eu juro que não fiz nada Seu Guarda. (Br.) (...)
It was a misunderstanding.: Foi um engano. (...)
Where are you taking me?: Onde me leva? (...)
Am I under arrest?: Estou detido? (...)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.: Sou um cidadão americano/australiano/britânico/canadiano. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.: Quero falar com o consulado americano/australiano/britânico/canadense. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer.: Quero falar com um advogado. (...)
Can I just pay a fine now?: Posso pagar a coima(Port.)/fiança(Br.) agora? (...)

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