· 7 min read
Portuguese Phrases for Travelers: 40 to Know
By Language Lab editorial team
40 Portuguese phrases for travelers: greetings, rooms, directions, cafés and restaurants, and shopping, with meanings. From the BBC's Portuguese Quick Fix.
Travel Portuguese starts with a few polite words and three or four frames. Olá is hello, and thank you is Obrigado if you are a man and Obrigada if you are a woman. Queria means I'd like, for a room, a drink or anything in a shop. Tem ... ? asks do you have, and Quanto custa? asks how much it is. For directions, say Desculpe, onde fica and the place; you will hear Siga sempre em frente, go straight on, Volte à direita, turn right, or Vire à esquerda, turn left. When someone speaks too fast, Mais devagar, por favor means more slowly, please. And Fala inglês? asks whether they speak English. The 40 phrases below come from the BBC's Portuguese Quick Fix lists.
First words
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Olá! | Hello |
| Adeus! | Goodbye |
| Sim. | Yes |
| Não. | No |
| Obrigado, obrigada. | Thank you |
| O meu nome é ... | My name is ... |
| Fala inglês? | Do you speak English? |
| Desculpe, não falo português. | I'm sorry, I don't speak Portuguese. |
| Preciso de ajuda. | I need help. |
| Mais devagar, por favor | More slowly, please |
The BBC gives thank you in two forms, Obrigado and obrigada. Men say the first and women the second.
A room for the night
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Queria um quarto | I'd like a room |
| Reservei um quarto | I've booked a room |
| em nome de ... | in the name of ... |
| individual | single (room) |
| de casal | double (room) |
| um quarto com duas camas | a twin room |
| uma noite | one night |
| pagar com cartão de crédito | pay by credit card |
Finding your way
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Desculpe, onde fica ... ? | Excuse me, where is ... ? |
| Siga sempre em frente | Go straight on |
| Volte à direita | Turn right |
| Vire à esquerda | Turn left |
| É longe? | Is it far? |
| É perto | It's close |
| aqui perto | near here |
| um posto de turismo | a tourist office |
Cafés and restaurants
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| uma mesa para duas pessoas | a table for two |
| O que recomenda? | What do you recommend? |
| Para mim ... | For me ... |
| prato do dia | dish of the day |
| um café, se faz favor | a coffee, please |
| uma água sem gás | still water |
| uma cerveja | a beer |
| Não como carne. | I don't eat meat. |
Shopping
| Portuguese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tem ... ? | Do you have ... ? |
| Queria ... | I'd like ... |
| Quanto custa? | How much is it? |
| Mais alguma coisa? | Anything else? |
| Mais nada | Nothing else |
| uma farmácia | a pharmacy |
And one for anywhere: Onde é o lavabo, faz favor? Where is the toilet, please?
Three short exchanges
- At reception. You: Olá! Reservei um quarto, em nome de ... Hello! I've booked a room, in the name of ...
- In the street. You: Desculpe, onde fica o posto de turismo? Excuse me, where is the tourist office? Passer-by: Siga sempre em frente. É perto. Go straight on. It's close.
- In a restaurant. You: Uma mesa para duas pessoas. O que recomenda? A table for two. What do you recommend? Then: Para mim, prato do dia. For me, the dish of the day.
How to learn them
- Begin with Queria, Tem ... ? and Quanto custa? They cover most requests.
- Say each phrase aloud; the BBC lists come with audio to copy.
- Cover the Portuguese and produce it from the English.
- Practise a little every day for a week. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility, and rereading as low.
- Portuguese is in the easiest official group for English speakers: the US State Department lists it at 24 weeks of classes.
Language Lab's Portuguese course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can rehearse the hotel desk and the restaurant table out loud.
Frequently asked
What are the most useful Portuguese phrases for travelers?
Olá, Obrigado or Obrigada, Queria for I'd like, Tem ... ? for do you have, Quanto custa? for how much is it, and Desculpe, onde fica ... ? for excuse me, where is.
How do I say thank you in Portuguese?
Obrigado if you are a man, Obrigada if you are a woman.
How do I ask for directions in Portuguese?
Desculpe, onde fica and the place. Answers include Siga sempre em frente, go straight on, Volte à direita, turn right, and Vire à esquerda, turn left.
How do I order in a Portuguese restaurant?
Para mim and the dish means for me. O que recomenda? asks what the waiter recommends, and prato do dia is the dish of the day.
How do I say I don't eat meat in Portuguese?
Não como carne.
How do I ask someone to speak more slowly in Portuguese?
Mais devagar, por favor.
Sources: BBC Languages, Portuguese Quick Fix: basic, accommodation, food and drink, shopping and getting around phrases (archived pages); Biblioteca Municipal de Coimbra, note on obrigado and obrigada; US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: A historic tram in Alfama, Lisbon, madras91 / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
