You can get around central Porto in English, but a greeting in Portuguese changes the opening seconds of an ordinary interaction. Start with bom dia when you walk into a shop or café, then ask for what you need. European Portuguese can be hard to follow at speed, so it helps to have one phrase ready for the moment you lose the thread.
First words
Olá — hello. Bom dia — good morning. Boa tarde — good afternoon. Boa noite — good evening or good night. Por favor — please. Obrigado (said by a man) or obrigada (said by a woman) — thank you. Com licença — excuse me as you pass; desculpe — excuse me or sorry.
At the counter
Um café, se faz favor. One espresso, please. In Porto, a café is the small espresso. Ask for uma meia de leite for coffee with milk in a cup, or um galão for a larger milky coffee in a glass. Uma água sem gás is still water; com gás is sparkling.
At a restaurant: Tem mesa para dois? Do you have a table for two? Pode trazer a ementa? Could you bring the menu? A conta, se faz favor. The bill, please. Posso pagar com cartão? Can I pay by card?
Dietary needs
Sou vegetariano/vegetariana. I am vegetarian. Não como carne/peixe. I do not eat meat/fish. For an allergy, say Tenho alergia a amendoim (I have a peanut allergy) or replace amendoim with the ingredient. If it is serious, keep the allergy written in Portuguese on your phone and show it before ordering; do not rely on a hurried spoken translation.
Getting around
Onde fica a estação de metro? Where is the metro station? Onde fica a casa de banho? Where is the bathroom? Esta linha vai para Matosinhos? Does this line go to Matosinhos? Fica longe? Is it far? Porto directions often include a hill; check the route on your map before setting off.
When you miss a word
Falo pouco português. I speak a little Portuguese. Pode repetir, por favor? Could you repeat, please? Mais devagar, se faz favor. More slowly, please. Pode escrever? Could you write it down? These are more useful than pretending you understood and getting on the wrong bus.
If you need help
Preciso de ajuda. I need help. É uma emergência. It is an emergency. Call 112 for an emergency; for non-emergency health advice in Portugal, call SNS 24 on 808 24 24 24. In a serious emergency, do not wait to find the perfect Portuguese sentence.
Portuguese spelling is only part of the challenge: people often speak quickly, and the northern accent has its own rhythm. Say the short phrase, listen for the answer, and ask them to repeat it. Nobody needs a performance; a clear bom dia and se faz favor will carry you through plenty of small moments.
