Brazilian Portuguese for Travel: 50 Essential Phrases for Visiting Brazil
Useful Portuguese for real travel situations
You do not need fluent Portuguese to benefit from speaking the local language in Brazil. A small set of well-chosen phrases can help you greet people, ask for directions, check into a hotel, order food, explain a problem, and understand the questions people are likely to ask you.
This guide teaches 50 Brazilian Portuguese travel phrases in complete situations—not as an isolated vocabulary list. You will also learn common replies, natural alternatives, mini-dialogues, and emergency language worth keeping offline.
organized by travel situation
rather than literal textbook language
so you can understand the answer
with official national numbers
Twelve Brazilian Portuguese phrases to learn before your flight
Start here if your trip is close and you do not have time to study all 50 immediately.
| Portuguese | Natural English |
|---|---|
| Oi! / Olá! | Hi! / Hello! |
| Obrigado. / Obrigada. | Thank you. |
| Desculpa. / Desculpe. | Sorry; excuse me. |
| Eu não falo muito português. | I don’t speak much Portuguese. |
| Pode falar mais devagar? | Can you speak more slowly? |
| Pode repetir? | Can you repeat that? |
| Você pode me ajudar? | Can you help me? |
| Onde fica ___? | Where is ___? |
| Quero ir para ___. | I want to go to ___. |
| Eu vou querer ___. | I’ll have ___. |
| A conta, por favor. | The check, please. |
| Preciso de ajuda. | I need help. |
How to use this travel phrase guide
- Learn phrases as complete chunks. Memorize Pode falar mais devagar?, not four separate words.
- Practice the question and the answer. Asking Onde fica…? is only useful if you can recognize à direita, logo ali, or no segundo andar.
- Replace one part of the sentence. Use Sem cebola, sem queijo, or sem açúcar without rebuilding the whole structure.
- Keep essential phrases offline. Save hotel, health, allergy, and emergency information where you can access it without mobile data.
- Do not rely on spelling alone. Review our Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation guide to recognize these phrases in real speech.
Travel situation
Greetings, politeness, and basic communication
These phrases help you begin an interaction politely, explain your level, and ask a Brazilian speaker to make the conversation easier to follow.
Oi! / Olá!
Natural English: Hi! / Hello!
Oi is the most common casual greeting. Olá is also correct and can sound slightly more deliberate or formal.
Portuguese: Oi! Tudo bem?
English: Hi! How are you?
Bom dia. / Boa tarde. / Boa noite.
Natural English: Good morning. / Good afternoon. / Good evening.
Use these greetings when entering a hotel, restaurant, shop, ticket counter, or any interaction where a polite opening helps.
Portuguese: Bom dia. Você pode me ajudar?
English: Good morning. Can you help me?
Tudo bem?
Natural English: How are you? / Everything okay?
A very common greeting. You can answer Tudo bem, Tudo ótimo, or simply repeat Tudo bem? as part of the exchange.
Portuguese: Oi, tudo bem?
English: Hi, how are you?
Por favor.
Natural English: Please.
Add it to requests. It can come at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Portuguese: Um café, por favor.
English: A coffee, please.
Obrigado. / Obrigada.
Natural English: Thank you.
The form agrees with the speaker: a man normally says obrigado; a woman normally says obrigada.
Portuguese: Muito obrigada pela ajuda.
English: Thank you very much for the help.
Com licença.
Natural English: Excuse me; may I pass?
Use it to get attention politely, move through a crowd, interrupt carefully, or ask permission to pass.
Portuguese: Com licença, onde fica o banheiro?
English: Excuse me, where is the restroom?
Desculpa. / Desculpe.
Natural English: Sorry; excuse me.
Desculpa is common and informal. Desculpe is a little more neutral or polite.
Portuguese: Desculpe, eu não entendi.
English: Sorry, I didn’t understand.
Eu não falo muito português.
Natural English: I don’t speak much Portuguese.
A useful way to set expectations without saying that you speak no Portuguese at all.
Portuguese: Eu não falo muito português, mas estou aprendendo.
English: I don’t speak much Portuguese, but I’m learning.
Pode falar mais devagar?
Natural English: Can you speak more slowly?
Use this when you understand some Portuguese but need a slower pace.
Portuguese: Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
English: Can you speak more slowly, please?
Pode repetir?
Natural English: Can you repeat that?
A short, natural request. For a slightly more complete version, say Pode repetir, por favor?
Portuguese: Desculpe. Pode repetir?
English: Sorry. Can you repeat that?
Travel situation
Asking for help and understanding what people say
These phrases help you keep the interaction moving when you are missing a word, need clarification, or want to switch briefly to English.
Você pode me ajudar?
Natural English: Can you help me?
A general request for assistance. It works in shops, stations, hotels, airports, and public places.
Portuguese: Você pode me ajudar com esta máquina?
English: Can you help me with this machine?
Eu não entendi.
Natural English: I didn’t understand.
Use this after a sentence or explanation you could not follow.
Portuguese: Desculpe, eu não entendi a última parte.
English: Sorry, I didn’t understand the last part.
O que significa ___?
Natural English: What does ___ mean?
Insert a word or expression you heard or saw.
Portuguese: O que significa “embarque”?
English: What does “boarding” mean?
Como se diz ___ em português?
Natural English: How do you say ___ in Portuguese?
Useful when you know the English word but need the Portuguese equivalent.
Portuguese: Como se diz “receipt” em português?
English: How do you say “receipt” in Portuguese?
Pode escrever?
Natural English: Can you write it down?
Especially useful for addresses, names, prices, room numbers, Wi-Fi passwords, and unfamiliar words.
Portuguese: Pode escrever o endereço, por favor?
English: Can you write down the address, please?
Você fala inglês?
Natural English: Do you speak English?
Ask rather than assuming. English availability varies by place, profession, and individual. For a fuller explanation, read Do Brazilians Speak English?
Portuguese: Desculpe, você fala inglês?
English: Excuse me, do you speak English?
Travel situation
Directions and transportation
These phrases cover walking directions, buses, tickets, destinations, and estimated travel time.
Onde fica ___?
Natural English: Where is ___?
Use it for places and locations: o banheiro, a estação, o hotel, a farmácia.
Portuguese: Onde fica a estação de metrô?
English: Where is the subway station?
É longe?
Natural English: Is it far?
A quick follow-up after asking for directions.
Portuguese: A praia é longe daqui?
English: Is the beach far from here?
Dá para ir a pé?
Natural English: Can I walk there? / Is it walkable?
Dá para… is a very common Brazilian structure meaning that something is possible or feasible.
Portuguese: Dá para ir a pé até o centro?
English: Can I walk to the city center?
Quero ir para ___.
Natural English: I want to go to ___.
Useful with a driver, ticket seller, or transport employee.
Portuguese: Quero ir para o aeroporto.
English: I want to go to the airport.
Este ônibus vai para ___?
Natural English: Does this bus go to ___?
Confirm the destination before boarding.
Portuguese: Este ônibus vai para o centro?
English: Does this bus go downtown?
Onde fica o ponto de ônibus?
Natural English: Where is the bus stop?
In Brazil, a bus stop is usually called ponto de ônibus.
Portuguese: Onde fica o ponto de ônibus mais próximo?
English: Where is the nearest bus stop?
Onde compro a passagem?
Natural English: Where do I buy the ticket?
Passagem is commonly used for a transport ticket or fare.
Portuguese: Onde compro a passagem para Salvador?
English: Where do I buy the ticket to Salvador?
Quanto tempo leva?
Natural English: How long does it take?
Use it to ask about the duration of a trip or route.
Portuguese: Quanto tempo leva até o aeroporto?
English: How long does it take to get to the airport?
Pode me avisar quando chegar?
Natural English: Can you let me know when we arrive?
Useful on a bus, shuttle, tour, or ride when you are unsure where to get off.
Portuguese: Pode me avisar quando chegar no centro?
English: Can you let me know when we get downtown?
Travel situation
Hotel and accommodation
Use these phrases at reception, during check-in, and when you need a practical problem solved.
Tenho uma reserva em nome de ___.
Natural English: I have a reservation under the name ___.
The standard check-in phrase. Insert the name used for the booking.
Portuguese: Tenho uma reserva em nome de Taylor Morgan.
English: I have a reservation under the name Taylor Morgan.
Qual é a senha do Wi-Fi?
Natural English: What is the Wi-Fi password?
Senha means password or passcode.
Portuguese: Qual é a senha do Wi-Fi, por favor?
English: What is the Wi-Fi password, please?
O café da manhã está incluído?
Natural English: Is breakfast included?
Café da manhã means breakfast.
Portuguese: O café da manhã está incluído na diária?
English: Is breakfast included in the room rate?
Que horas é o check-out?
Natural English: What time is check-out?
The English term check-out is widely understood in hotel contexts.
Portuguese: Que horas é o check-out amanhã?
English: What time is check-out tomorrow?
Posso deixar minha bagagem aqui?
Natural English: Can I leave my luggage here?
Useful before check-in or after check-out.
Portuguese: Posso deixar minha bagagem aqui até a tarde?
English: Can I leave my luggage here until the afternoon?
O ar-condicionado não está funcionando.
Natural English: The air conditioner isn’t working.
Replace ar-condicionado with another item when needed: o chuveiro, a televisão, a fechadura.
Portuguese: O ar-condicionado do quarto não está funcionando.
English: The air conditioner in the room isn’t working.
Travel situation
Restaurants, food, allergies, and payment
These phrases help you get a table, order naturally, explain restrictions, ask about ingredients, and pay.
Uma mesa para dois, por favor.
Natural English: A table for two, please.
Change the number as needed: para uma pessoa, para três, para quatro.
Portuguese: Boa noite. Uma mesa para dois, por favor.
English: Good evening. A table for two, please.
O cardápio, por favor.
Natural English: The menu, please.
Cardápio is the standard Brazilian word for menu.
Portuguese: Você pode trazer o cardápio, por favor?
English: Can you bring the menu, please?
Eu vou querer ___.
Natural English: I’ll have ___.
A very natural way to order in Brazil. Eu gostaria de… is also correct but often sounds more formal.
Portuguese: Eu vou querer o peixe grelhado.
English: I’ll have the grilled fish.
Sem ___, por favor.
Natural English: Without ___, please.
Use it to remove an ingredient or item.
Portuguese: Sem cebola, por favor.
English: No onions, please.
Tenho alergia a ___.
Natural English: I am allergic to ___.
Use this clearly for an allergy. Do not rely only on sem… if cross-contact or hidden ingredients matter.
Portuguese: Tenho alergia a amendoim.
English: I am allergic to peanuts.
Isso tem ___?
Natural English: Does this contain ___?
A direct question about ingredients.
Portuguese: Isso tem leite?
English: Does this contain milk?
A conta, por favor.
Natural English: The check, please.
The standard way to ask for the bill at a restaurant.
Portuguese: A conta, por favor.
English: The check, please.
Posso pagar com cartão?
Natural English: Can I pay by card?
Use this before paying when you want to confirm the accepted method.
Portuguese: Posso pagar com cartão de crédito?
English: Can I pay by credit card?
Travel situation
Shopping and practical purchases
These phrases cover price, size, trying something on, and browsing without pressure.
Quanto custa?
Natural English: How much does it cost?
Use it for one item. For several items, you may hear or say Quanto custam?
Portuguese: Quanto custa esta camisa?
English: How much does this shirt cost?
Tem em outro tamanho?
Natural English: Do you have it in another size?
You can also replace tamanho with cor for another color.
Portuguese: Tem em outro tamanho?
English: Do you have it in another size?
Posso experimentar?
Natural English: Can I try it on?
Used for clothes, shoes, glasses, and similar items.
Portuguese: Posso experimentar esta jaqueta?
English: Can I try on this jacket?
Só estou olhando, obrigado. / obrigada.
Natural English: I’m just looking, thank you.
A polite way to decline assistance while browsing.
Portuguese: Obrigada, só estou olhando.
English: Thanks, I’m just looking.
Travel situation
Emergencies, health, and lost belongings
Keep these phrases available offline. In a serious emergency, communicate your location, the type of problem, and whether anyone is injured.
Preciso de ajuda.
Natural English: I need help.
A direct general request. Add the problem immediately if you can.
Portuguese: Preciso de ajuda. Minha amiga caiu.
English: I need help. My friend fell.
É uma emergência.
Natural English: It is an emergency.
Use this to make the urgency explicit.
Portuguese: É uma emergência. Tem uma pessoa ferida.
English: It is an emergency. Someone is injured.
Chame a polícia.
Natural English: Call the police.
Use in an immediate police emergency.
Portuguese: Por favor, chame a polícia.
English: Please call the police.
Preciso de um médico.
Natural English: I need a doctor.
Use for urgent medical assistance.
Portuguese: Preciso de um médico agora.
English: I need a doctor now.
Estou passando mal.
Natural English: I feel ill; I’m feeling unwell.
A common way to say that you are suddenly unwell.
Portuguese: Estou passando mal e preciso sentar.
English: I feel unwell and need to sit down.
Perdi meu passaporte.
Natural English: I lost my passport.
Use perdi when you lost something. Contact your embassy or consulate for document assistance.
Portuguese: Perdi meu passaporte no aeroporto.
English: I lost my passport at the airport.
Roubaram meu telefone.
Natural English: My phone was stolen.
Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses an unspecified plural subject in this type of sentence: literally, “They stole my phone.”
Portuguese: Roubaram meu telefone e meus documentos.
English: My phone and documents were stolen.
Put the phrases together
Four mini-dialogues for common travel situations
Asking for directions
Traveler: Com licença, onde fica a estação de metrô?
Local: Siga reto e vire à esquerda no semáforo.
Traveler: É longe?
Local: Não. Dá uns cinco minutos a pé.
Checking into a hotel
Traveler: Boa tarde. Tenho uma reserva em nome de Alex Smith.
Receptionist: Pode me mostrar seu documento?
Traveler: Claro. O café da manhã está incluído?
Receptionist: Sim, das seis e meia às dez.
Ordering at a restaurant
Server: Já escolheram?
Traveler: Sim. Eu vou querer o peixe grelhado, sem cebola.
Server: Mais alguma coisa?
Traveler: Uma água sem gás, por favor.
Explaining a health problem
Traveler: Preciso de ajuda. Estou passando mal.
Staff member: Você consegue respirar normalmente?
Traveler: Sim, mas estou com muita tontura.
Staff member: Vou chamar o atendimento médico.
Listening
Pronunciation details that can affect travel communication
Final unstressed -o often approaches an u-like sound.
In many Brazilian accents, the final vowel in obrigado is closer to /u/ than to the English vowel learners may expect from the spelling.
Final unstressed -e often approaches an i-like sound.
In accents that palatalize t before this sound, noite may be heard approximately as noitchi. These are broad tendencies, not spellings to memorize. See the Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation Guide for regional variation and sound practice.
ão is nasal.
You will hear it in não, estação, cartão, and informação.
lh and nh are single sounds.
Examples include bilhete, melhor, banheiro, and amanhã.
Words may be reduced in fast speech.
Para often becomes pra; está often becomes tá.
Intonation matters.
A short phrase such as Pode repetir? sounds more polite with a calm rising question pattern.
Continue preparing your Brazilian Portuguese
Frequently asked questions about Portuguese for travel in Brazil
Do I need to speak Portuguese before visiting Brazil?
No. Many visitors travel without speaking Portuguese. However, basic phrases make practical interactions easier and help when English is not available.
Can I use Spanish in Brazil?
Portuguese and Spanish share vocabulary, but they are different languages with important differences in pronunciation and everyday usage. Spanish may occasionally help with recognition, but it should not be treated as a reliable replacement for Portuguese.
Is “eu gostaria de” wrong when ordering?
No. It is correct and polite. In everyday Brazilian restaurant speech, eu vou querer… and sometimes simply para mim… are also very natural.
Should I use “senhor” and “senhora” with every older person?
No. They are respectful forms, but their use depends on context, region, relationship, and the level of formality. Você is common in many neutral interactions. When in doubt, begin politely and follow the other person’s style.
What should I save offline before traveling?
Save your hotel address, emergency contacts, allergy information, insurance details, passport copy, and the phrases you may need for transport, health, and lost documents.
What are Brazil’s main emergency numbers?
Call 190 for the Military Police, 192 for SAMU medical emergencies, and 193 for the Fire Department and rescue services.
Can tourists use Pix in Brazil?
Pix requires access through a participating bank or payment institution. Many visitors without a compatible account cannot initiate Pix directly, although merchants may strongly prefer it. Carry an alternative payment method and review our complete guide to payments in Brazil.
