Travelling to a different country is a great chance to get to know a different culture, lifestyle, gastronomy and even a different language!
It is not uncommon for travellers to try to learn the basics of the language of the place they are visiting. I guess it is interesting for the traveller to learn some new words and it shows respect to the locals!
Portuguese can be one of those interesting languages! I have met quite a few foreigners that know a bit of Spanish and it is common that they understand written Portuguese. However, the pronunciation is completely different and, of course, there are very different words and expressions from Spanish to Portuguses! Starting by the way we say thank you!
So, in this blog, I’ll try to teach you some basic Portuguese!
Greetings:
Hello – Olá!
Good Morning – Bom dia
Good Afternoon – Boa tarde
Good Evening/ Good night – Boa noite (we only use Boa noite. We don’t have any expression for good evening).
How are you? – Como está? (formal) / Tudo bem? (not so formal!)
Nice to meet you – Prazer em conhecê-lo (if talking to a man) / Prazer em conhecê-la (if talking to a woman).
See you later – Até logo
See you tomorrow – Até amanhã
Goodbye – Adeus (formal)
Bye – Tchau (informal)
Saying thank you
This is one that tends to puzzle people a little bit.
There are a few ways to say thank you in Portuguese, but the most common one is Obrigado/ Obrigada. Now, a man should always say Obrigado and a woman always says Obrigada. It doesn’t matter to whom you are saying it to, but who you are! (Although in my opinion, what really matters is to say thank you and I’ve said Obrigado quite a few times!)Sometimes, we also say Grato/Grata (same rule as for the Obrigado/obrigada).
It can be translated as thankful and other times, we say Agradecido/agradecida, which means Grateful.
If you want to keep things simple, just use the Obrigado/ Obrigada!
Essential Sentences:
Yes – Sim
No – Não
Maybe – Talvez
Ok / Alright – Ok/Está bem
I’m sorry – Desculpe
Excuse me – Com licença/ Desculpe
Pardon me – Perdão
Please – Por favor
You’re welcome – De nada
Can you help me- Pode ajudar-me?
Sir – SenhorMadam – Senhora
Basics for Restaurants/ Caffés
Espresso – Bica
Americano – Chino
Latte – Chinesa
Tea – Chá
Water – Água
Beer – Cerveja
Red Wine – Vinho Tinto
White Wine – Vinho Branco
Juice – Sumo
Food – Comida
Rice – Arroz
Potatoes – Batatas
Salad – Salada
Vegetables – Legumes
French fries – Batata frita
Meat – Carne
Fish – Peixe
Chicken – Frango
Dessert – Sobremesa
Cake – Bolo
Ice Cream – Gelado
Fruit Salad – Salada de Fruta
Transportation:Car – Carro
Van – Carrinha
Bus – Autocarro
Motorbike – Mota
Bike – Bicicleta
Taxi – Taxi
Train – Comboio
Remember that European Portuguese is very different from Brazilian Portuguese, not only in the pronunciation but even in the meaning of some words!
As Islanders, Madeiran people have a very different accent from people from mainland Portugal. It is still the same Portuguese, however we have very characteristic expressions. Ordering coffee is not the same in mainland Portugal and Madeira. The examples I gave in this blog is how we order coffee in Madeira.
I hope you find this information useful and hopefully you’ll be able to use it next time you visit Portugal!
If there are any other words/ sentences that you would like to learn in Portuguese, comment on this blog!