In Porto, learn five words: "olá" (hello), "obrigado / obrigada" (thank you, said by a man / a woman), "por favor" (please), "desculpe" (sorry) and "a conta, por favor" (the bill). Many people in Porto speak English or French, but a word of Portuguese is always appreciated. The tables give each phrase in European Portuguese, with a pronunciation in plain letters and the meaning. Portugal's pronunciation differs from Brazil's: final vowels are almost silent (the last "e" of "saúde" is barely heard) and a final "s" sounds like "sh".
ão and õe are nasal vowels: "não" is said "nowng", gliding, without a hard "n".
lh = "lli" in "million"; nh = "ny" in "canyon"; ç = "s".
In Porto an espresso is ordered as "um cimbalino"; "bica" is the Lisbon word.
Strangers are not addressed casually: use "o senhor / a senhora" (sir / madam) and be careful with "você".
Where to use them
In a pastry shop, "Um cimbalino e um pastel de nata, por favor" is the most useful sentence of your stay. In a restaurant, francesinha and vinho do Porto are ordered as they are. The European emergency number, valid in Portugal, is 112. A guided tasting or cooking class is ideal for practising.
