Greetings & Politeness
Politeness is highly valued in Portugal. People greet when entering a shop, thank profusely, and often use "se faz favor" (please). Here are the most important expressions.
Greeting
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Bom dia | bong DI-a | Good morning (until about 12 PM) |
| Boa tarde | boa TARD | Good afternoon (12–6 PM) |
| Boa noite | boa NOIT | Good evening / Good night |
| Olá | o-LA | Hello (informal) |
| Adeus | a-DEUSCH | Goodbye |
| Até logo | a-TE LO-gu | See you soon |
| Tchau | tschau | Bye (informal, from Italian) |
Politeness
| Portuguese | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Obrigado/a | obri-GA-du/a | Thank you (man/woman) |
| De nada | dö NA-da | You're welcome (response to thank you) |
| Se faz favor / Por favor | sö fasch fa-WOR | Please (request) |
| Com licença | kong li-SSÄN-ssa | Excuse me (when passing through) |
| Desculpe | dösch-KULP | Sorry (general) |
| Sim / Não | ssing / naung | Yes / No |
| Fala inglês? | FA-la in-GLESCH | Do you speak English? |
| Não falo português | naung FA-lu portu-GESCH | I don't speak Portuguese |
| Não entendo | naung en-TEN-du | I don't understand |
Addressing
Portuguese people often use “Senhor" / “Senhora" (Mr. / Mrs.) as a polite form of address — even without last names. In a restaurant: “Senhor, a conta, se faz favor" (Sir [waiter], the bill, please). The informal form (tu) is used only among friends and young people. The formal address is the 3rd person singular (ele/ela — thus “Fala" instead of “Falas").