Essential Portuguese Travel Phrases for Visiting Portugal

English works in tourist areas of Portugal — but a few phrases of Portuguese change how your trip feels. Prices soften, smiles widen, service warms up. Here are the phrases worth learning, with European pronunciation.

The golden five

• Olá / Bom dia ("oh-LAH" / "bong DEE-ah") — hello / good morning. Always greet when entering a shop; it's expected courtesy in Portugal.
• Por favor ("poor fah-VOR") — please.
• Obrigado / Obrigada ("oh-bree-GAH-doo/dah") — thank you. Men say obrigado, women obrigada.
• Desculpe ("dish-KULP") — excuse me / sorry.
• Fala inglês? ("FAH-lah een-GLESH") — do you speak English?

At the café (where you'll live)

• Um café, por favor — an espresso, please (in Portugal, "café" = espresso).
• Um galão — a milky coffee, the local latte.
• Um pastel de nata — the famous custard tart. Say it right, earn respect.
• A conta, por favor — the bill, please.
• Quanto custa? — how much is it?

Getting around

• Onde fica...? — where is...? (Onde fica a estação?)
• Pode ajudar-me? — can you help me?
• Para o aeroporto, por favor — to the airport, please.
• Uma bica (Lisbon) — another word for espresso; instant local points.

Emergencies

• Preciso de ajuda — I need help.
• Onde é a farmácia? — where's the pharmacy?
• Chame uma ambulância — call an ambulance (112 is the EU emergency number).

One pronunciation warning

Phrasebooks written for Brazilian Portuguese will teach you pronunciations that sound odd in Portugal. Final s is "sh" (duas = "doo-ash"), and unstressed vowels nearly vanish. Learn from Portugal-recorded audio and locals will understand you first try.