Useful Phrases & Comparison
Finally, a collection of particularly useful everyday phrases and a comparison between European and Brazilian Portuguese that travelers should know.
Everyday Phrases
| Situation | Portuguese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing | Chamo-me... / O meu nome é... | My name is... |
| Origin | Sou da Alemanha / Áustria / Suíça | I'm from Germany / Austria / Switzerland |
| Photo | Pode tirar-me uma fotografia? | Can you take a picture of me? |
| Time | Que horas são? | What time is it? |
| Weather | Vai chover amanhã? | Will it rain tomorrow? |
| Understanding | Pode repetir, por favor? | Can you repeat that, please? |
| Farewell | Foi um prazer! | It was a pleasure! |
| Compliment | Portugal é muito bonito! | Portugal is very beautiful! |
| Agreement | Com certeza! | Sure! / Of course! |
| Refusal | Não, obrigado/a | No, thank you |
European vs. Brazilian Portuguese
Since many learning materials are geared towards Brazilian Portuguese, here are the most important differences:
| English | Portugal (PT-PT) | Brazil (PT-BR) |
|---|---|---|
| Train | comboio | trem |
| Bus | autocarro | ônibus |
| Mobile phone | telemóvel | celular |
| Breakfast | pequeno-almoço | café da manhã |
| Cup | chávena | xícara |
| Ice cream | gelado | sorvete |
| Refrigerator | frigorífico | geladeira |
| Girl | rapariga | menina / garota |
Note: The word "rapariga" means "girl/young woman" in Portugal, but "prostitute" in Brazil — a popular example of the pitfalls between the two variants.
Pronunciation Differences
The biggest difference is pronunciation: In Portugal, unstressed vowels are swallowed, and "-de" / "-te" at the end of a word are pronounced like "d"/"t". In Brazil, they become "dschi"/"tschi" — "cidade" sounds like "ssi-DAD" in Portugal and "ssi-DA-dschi" in Brazil. If you speak with a Brazilian accent in Portugal, everyone will understand you — but Portuguese people will be amused.