Speak Portuguese

with confidence
Speak Portuguese
with confidence
Sue Tyson-Ward
For UK order enquiries: please contact Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon
OX14 4SB. Telephone: +44 (0) 1235 827720. Fax: +44 (0) 1235 400454. Lines are open
09.00–17.00, Monday to Saturday, with a 24-hour message answering service. Details
about our titles and how to order are available at www.teachyourself.co.uk
For USA order enquiries: please contact McGraw-Hill Customer Services, PO Box 545,
Blacklick, OH 43004-0545, USA. Telephone: 1-800-722-4726. Fax: 1-614-755-5645.
For Canada order enquiries: please contact McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd, 300 Water St,
Whitby, Ontario L1N 9B6, Canada. Telephone: 905 430 5000. Fax: 905 430 5020.
Long renowned as the authoritative source for self-guided learning – with more than 50
million copies sold worldwide – the teach yourself series includes over 500 titles in the fields
of languages, crafts, hobbies, business, computing and education.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this title is available
from the British Library.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: on file.
First published in UK 2006 as Teach Yourself Portuguese Conversation by Hodder
Education, part of Hachette UK, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH.
First published in US 2006 as Teach Yourself Portuguese Conversation by The McGraw-
Hill Companies, Inc.
This edition published 2010.
The teach yourself name is a registered trade mark of Hodder Headline.
Copyright © 2006, 2010 Sue Tyson-Ward
In UK: All rights reserved. Apart from any permitted use under UK copyright law, no
part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information, storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or under licence from
the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details of such licences (for reprographic
reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, of Saffron
House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
In US: All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of
1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of
the publisher.
Typeset by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire.
Printed in the UK for Hodder Education, an Hachette UK Company, 338 Euston Road,
London NW1 3BH.
The publisher has used its best endeavours to ensure that the URLs for external websites
referred to in this book are correct and active at the time of going to press. However, the
publisher and the author have no responsibility for the websites and can make no guarantee
that a site will remain live or that the content will remain relevant, decent or appropriate.
Hachette UK’s policy is to use papers that are natural, renewable and recyclable products
and made from wood grown in sustainable forests. The logging and manufacturing
processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of
origin.
Impression number 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Year 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Contents

Track listing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Only got a minute? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Only got five minutes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Only got ten minutes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Conversation 1: Meeting and greeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Part 1: Getting to know people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Part 2: How are you? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Conversation 2: Eating out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Part 1: Having a snack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Part 2: Having a meal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Conversation 3: Shopping for food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Part 1: At the market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Part 2: At the grocer’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Conversation 4: Making bookings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Part 1: At the hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Part 2: At a restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Conversation 5: Problem solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Part 1: In the hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Part 2: At a restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Conversation 6: On the move. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Part 1: Catching a train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Part 2: At the bus stop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Conversation 7: Enjoying yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Part 1: Asking about local information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Part 2: Buying tickets for a show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Conversation 8: Finding the way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Part 1: Finding out where the bank is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Part 2: Getting there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Conversation 9: Health matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Part 1: Feeling ill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Part 2: Going to the chemist’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Conversation 10: Shopping for pleasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Part 1: Shopping for clothes and shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Part 2: Buying souvenirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Contents v
 CD3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Getting directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Discussing where to go out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Discussing the weather. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
At the vending machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Interview with Maria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Greeting friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
In the restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Ordering desserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
In a grocer’s shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Booking a hotel room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Another grocer’s shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Making bookings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Booking a table for dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Making a doctor’s appointment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
At the lost property office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
At the garage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
At the football ticket office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Deciding when to meet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Buying a train ticket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Cultural information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Listening skills: Survival phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Portuguese–English glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
English–Portuguese glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Essential vocabulary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Subject index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Note: CD3 has additional short snippets which are not included in the
booklet.

vi
Track listing

CD1

Track 1: Introduction
Tracks 2–9: Conversation 1: Meeting and greeting
Tracks 10–16: Conversation 2: Eating out
Tracks 17–23: Conversation 3: Shopping for food
Tracks 24–30: Conversation 4: Making bookings
Tracks 31–7: Conversation 5: Problem solving

CD2

Tracks 1–7: Conversation 6: On the move

Tracks 8–14: Conversation 7: Enjoying yourself
Tracks 15–21: Conversation 8: Finding the way
Tracks 22–8: Conversation 9: Health matters
Tracks 29–35: Conversation 10: Shopping for pleasure

CD3

Track 1: Introduction
Track 2: Survival phrases 1
Track 3: General strategies
Track 4: Asking for help
Track 5: Question words
Track 6: Finding out about people
Track 7: Brazilian Portuguese
Track 8: Eating out
Track 9: Listening for equivalents 1
Track 10: Common question words
Track 11: Shopping conversations
Track 12: Survival phrases 2
Track 13: Making bookings
Track 14: Listening for equivalents 2
Track 15: Question words
Track 16: Problem solving
Track 17: Numbers
Track listing vii
Track 18: Time phrases
Track 19: On the move
Track 20: Endings that change meanings
Track 21: Question words
Track 22: Survival phrases 3
Track 23: Listening for similar words
Track 24: Listening for equivalents 3
Track 25: False friends
Track 26: Finding the way
Track 27: Health matters
Track 28: Conclusion

Recorded at Alchemy Studios, London.

Cast: Natan Barreto, João Ferreira, Maria Gilham, Manuela Jordão,
Sarah Sherborne

Credits

Front cover: 7yonov

Back cover: © Jakub Semeniuk/iStockphoto.com, © Royalty-Free/

Corbis, © agencyby/iStockphoto.com, © Andy Cook/iStockphoto.com,
© Christopher Ewing/iStockphoto.com, © zebicho – Fotolia.com,
© Geoffrey Holman/iStockphoto.com, ©Photodisc/Getty Images,
© James C. Pruitt/iStockphoto.com, © Mohamed Saber – Fotolia.com
Introduction

Welcome to Speak Portuguese with confidence. This audio course is

designed to increase your confidence in listening to spoken Portuguese,
and gives you the chance to have a go at the dialogues yourself. It also
gives you a whole range of insights into the way the language works,
and handy tips to help you get the gist of what you are hearing. During
my teaching over the last 18 years, I have encountered many learners
who prepare themselves adequately to try and engage in dialogue when
in Portugal or Brazil. However, they then lose heart when they struggle
to grasp what is being said back to them. If you recognize this situation,
then this course is ideal for you. Created with beginners, or returners
to the language, in mind, I have invested my many years’ experience of
teaching and writing for adults into a course dedicated to supporting
your listening skills and encouraging you to get speaking. The more
you listen, it really does get easier. Don’t be afraid to have a go! Whilst
the audio course is predominantly European Portuguese in content,
Brazilian Portuguese is also referred to, with some dialogues featuring a
Brazilian speaker.

Good luck – Boa sorte!

Sue Tyson-Ward

Introduction 1
Only got a minute?
Portuguese is spoken by over 200 million people across

the globe. There are differences in the way people around

the world speak Portuguese (pronunciation, vocabulary,

grammatical structures), but on the whole, with some basic

language under your belt, you should be able to communicate

in countries as diverse as Portugal, Brazil, Angola and the

Azores.

Portuguese has its roots predominantly in Latin,

so if you already know languages such as French, Spanish,

or Italian, you should be able to read Portuguese quite

easily. If you have no prior knowledge of other languages,

don’t worry; regular, short sessions of learning will help you

overcome the basics quite quickly. Many words are also

similar to English, and spotting the links, unlocking the code,

will give you the confidence and desire to keep up your

learning. Speak Portuguese with confidence is designed to

do just that: help you get the gist of what you hear, and give

Only got a minute? 3

 you the support to try out some everyday language yourself.

It also incorporates sections on breaking the language code

so that what you hear does not remain a mystery.

The Portuguese-speaking world is a place of

inspiring landscapes, rich in culture, and friendly people.

Whether you want to be on the sun-drenched beaches of

Portugal’s Algarve, joining the Samba parade in Rio, or doing

business in Luanda, Portuguese offers a great new world of

opportunity. And should you take your learning to a higher

level, you open the door to some fantastic literature, song

lyrics, Brazilian films, and authentic recipes for amazing food.

The small country of Portugal discovered much of

the world as we know it, once dividing global rule with Spain.

Embark on your own Portuguese voyage of discovery, and

become part of one of the world’s most fascinating empires.

4
 5
Why Portuguese?
Only got five minutes?

There are a number of very valid reasons why you might wish to take
up Portuguese:

• As a visitor to or potential resident in Portugal, for holiday purposes

whilst there, or to get by more confidently dealing with the services
and everyday life of your new environment
• For business purposes: Portugal itself has some scope for work, and
expatriates have set up life running guest houses or with work in
real estate. The goal may be the world’s 8th largest economy that
is Brazil. More and more UK and US businesses are making links
with Brazil, and opportunities are constantly arising for interesting
initiatives. There are also emerging opportunities in the former
Portuguese African colonies, particularly Angola, including work in
engineering.
• For adventure, eco-interests and voluntary work: the Amazon region
of Brazil has long-been a magnet for anthropologists, linguists and
ecologists, and in today’s climate of global eco-concern, there is no
better area for research. Brazil also offers many opportunities for
voluntary work, from the densely-populated metropolis of São Paulo
(with 17 million inhabitants, the world’s third largest city), to the
favela slums of Rio, and the large areas of the barren North-East.
Mozambique, in Africa, can also provide more than enough areas of
work for voluntary helpers – a country ravaged by wars and having
endured a series of natural disasters.
• For educational purposes: there is huge scope for teachers of English
around the Portuguese-speaking world, in particular in Brazil.
Portugal itself has a number of good International schools and many
English-language schools. And whilst English may be the language of

Only got a minute?

Only got five minutes? 5
 function within the classroom, Portuguese will be your language of
everyday life beyond.
If those reasons were not enough, you might be interested in world
history and culture; Portugal once divided up the known world with
Spain, and was instrumental in the discovery and development of a
whole plethora of ideas and inventions still in use today. You may have
a love of world music, and from the Fado of Portugal to the mighty
Samba and Bossa Nova of Brazil, taking in the African rhythms of the
ex-colonies, what better way to use the language than understanding
the lyrics of this music, and seeing straight into the soul of these
diverse nations. You are perhaps fascinated by world literature? What
a world awaits you, in original writings from around the globe: the
great Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado or Clarice Lispector of Brazil,
African writers such as Mia Couto and Pepetela, and the many superb
and respected Portuguese writers from down the centuries – Luís de
Camões and his epic poem The Lusiads, Almeida Garrett, Fernando
Pessoa, Alice Vieira, the Nobel-winner José Saramago, the list is endless.
Have we mentioned the sport (futebol the obvious one), the food, the
magnificent landscapes away from any trace of English speakers, the
films (Brazilian cinema has produced some of the most acclaimed films
in recent years)?

Or perhaps your interest lies in the pursuit of language for language-

sake? And why not? Portuguese is a great choice, either for the novice
language-learner or the already-accomplished linguist. It is basically a
Romance (Latin-based) language, with a recognizable script (alphabet)
and a not-too difficult sound system. It is described as a ‘phonetic’
language, that is in general terms that what you see you pronounce. In
this sense it is far easier than, say, French or English, both of which have
complexities of spelling and sounds. It is also a very melodic language,
and whilst the Portuguese of Brazil may sound very different to that
spoken in Portugal, the recent spelling agreement (the new Acordo
Ortográfico) between all the Portuguese-speaking countries, means that
wherever you travel in the Lusophone world, there exists a consistency
of how words are written. Each region will still maintain its own quirks
of expression and vocabulary, in the same way as the English-speaking
world.

6
Easing into the language
If you are new to languages, or a ‘rusty’ learner, you should not find
Portuguese too daunting. Forget any negative memories of old school
languages, but try to draw on aspects of other languages you have been
exposed to in the past – however distant or slight that may be. Links
back to school French and Latin will help you recognize structures
and vocabulary. Any experience of Spanish will be of particular help
(although at times can also be a hindrance!).

Portuguese belongs to the group of languages named ‘Romance’

languages, based on Latin. It was also influenced over the years by
Arabic (a legacy of its Moorish invaders), and to a much lesser extent,
by some of the Celtic invaders. But it is predominantly Latin in structure
and vocabulary. Its alphabet is the same as English, although the letters
k, y and w are still mainly used in abbreviations, proper names or
imported foreign words. The consonants have more or less the same
sound as English ones. The vowels have a range of sounds depending
on which position the letter has in a word, or whether the letter is
emphasized or not. There is a certain amount of ‘shushing’ of -s sounds,
there are nasal sounds and there are a few combined letter sounds,
such as lh (like the lli in million) and nh (like ni in onion). The sound of
European Portuguese is very sing-song, has lovely expressive intonation,
but can be quite tricky to listen to; the Portuguese do not open their
mouths very much, so a lot of the vowel sounds are closed in. They also
run whole sequences of words together, making it difficult to work out
the gaps between each one. On top of that, words are often ‘chopped’
either at the start or the finish. The expression Está bom (OK, it’s fine)
often sounds like ‘ta bo’. This is particularly prevalent in the Algarve,
making it not one of the best places to initiate your listening practice!

Brazilians, on the other hand, speak with a much more open mouth,
making it easier to hear vowels. They do not appear to be quite as fast
as their European counterparts, but they do have some different sounds.
However, whether you use European Portuguese in Brazil, Brazilian
Portuguese in Africa, or African Portuguese in the Azores, apart from a
few queries on words and expressions, you will be understood. Regular

Only got a minute?

Only got five minutes? 7
 listening to this audio course will help you enormously in your efforts to
make sense of what you are hearing, and encourage you to try out some
basic, everyday conversation too.

The Portuguese world

Let us not forget that the Portuguese-speaking family is actually a
very important one in world terms. Portuguese is the official language
of Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Brazil, Angola,
Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cabo Verde, and
is still an official language in some sections of society in Macau and in
East Timor. It was also used in Goa and its influence, and testament to
the far-flung edges reached by Portuguese navigators in the 15th and
16th centuries, can still be found in words such as vindaloo (vinho and
alho, wine and garlic being the main ingredients of this Indian dish),
marmalade (from marmelo – quince) and a good cup of char (from chá,
or chaa introduced to the English courts by Catherine of Bragança,
who married Charles II). Overall, in number-crunching terms, there are
now over 200 million native Portuguese speakers, either in their own
countries, or living as immigrants in places such as the UK, France,
Switzerland, Canada, South Africa and the USA. That places Portuguese
as the 6th most spoken language in the world, far higher than French,
German or Italian. It is the third most spoken European language in
the world, behind English and Spanish. Learning Portuguese leads you
into an amazing world with a fascinating and vitally important history,
legacies of wonderful literature, cuisine, music and inventions, and a
diversity of peoples.

Portuguese is a passport to great and exciting opportunities!

8
 10 Only got ten minutes?
Whatever reason your interest in Portuguese may be – travel, tourism,
business, cultural – you have chosen, or are about to choose, a vitally-
important world language, the learning of which will open doorways
into some of the world’s most interesting cultures. For Portuguese is not
only the language of the small country of Portugal, with its 10 million
inhabitants, but in fact the third most spoken European language in
the world (behind only English and Spanish). There are now over
200 million native speakers of Portuguese spread around the globe.
The language is the official means of communication in continental
Portugal and the island groups of Madeira and the Azores, the five
former African colonies of Angola, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, São
Tomé and Príncipe and Cabo Verde (Cape Verde). It also includes the
‘giant’ of South America, Brazil, on its own now accounting for around
190 million speakers. The language is also still spoken in East Timor
and to a lesser extent, Macau. Overall, that places Portuguese as the
6th most spoken language in the world. And not a lot of people know
that! What is definitely worth of note is that UNESCO estimates that
Portugal has the highest growth potential as a language of international
communication throughout South America and Southern Africa;
alongside Spanish, it is already one of the fastest-growing languages of
the west.

For many years, scholars of languages, history, literature and the Arts
have been studying the cultures of these rich and diverse communities,
but it is in more recent years that Portuguese has become a foreign
language of choice for a much wider audience. Those wishing to use it
on holiday, while travelling, for business purposes, or for the obvious
enjoyment links to aspects of culture such as the amazing Brazilian
music and film industry. And with Portuguese singers and writers
such as the Nobel prize-winning novelist José Saramago bringing the
language to eminence on the world stage, Portuguese has increasingly
grown in popularity as a beautiful language to learn, one that is fairly
accessible and manageable at some level or other for most people.

Only got ten minutes? 9

 In the English-speaking world, we have long suffered the illusion, set
down by our colonizing forbears, that we can travel the globe with no
knowledge of local language or customs, and still ‘get by’. Well, yes,
that is very true, and we can gesticulate, speak ever more loudly, and
s-l-o-w-l-y, and the natives will somehow get over the dreadful hurdle
of understanding us! It has to be said, too, that the Portuguese are very
good at English (and French and Spanish), so we are often lulled into a
false cocoon of Englishness whilst on holiday there; this, in turn, does
little to engender the motivation to get stuck into learning the local
language.

However, for vast amounts of the huge Luso (Portuguese) world,

including many remote parts of rural Portugal itself, you will not get
very far without at least the very basics of Portuguese. And why not?
For a relatively small investment of your time and effort, you will
always be rewarded with real value-added return: you will be exposed to
the real country and its customs, and welcomed by its people.

You may, of course, need far more than the basics; more and more
UK , US and world businesses have working links with Brazil; Brazil
now forms part of what is termed the BRIC economies (those of
Brazil, Russia, India and China – now considered the most important
emerging world economies). There is also growing awareness of the
potential in Angola and Mozambique in particular. Brazil represents an
enormous canvas of opportunity for scientists, ecologists, sociologists,
anthropologists, as well as for more ordinary ‘ists’ – tourists. It always
has done, really, but now it has become far easier to get there, and
recent developments in northern Brazil are encouraging more outsiders
to invest in property there too. But for large expanses of this simply
huge land-mass, knowledge of Portuguese is absolutely vital.

So, how did the language of such a small country emerge as such a
global language heavyweight?

In order to understand how and why Portuguese is such a fundamentally

important culture and language, we need to look at how its history
mapped out the pivotal role it came to play on the global stage.

10
To find out how it all began, let’s first go back to the prehistoric times of
Ancient Lusitânia. Portugal is one of the oldest nations in Europe, with
a rich prehistoric culture still evident in large numbers of megalithic
sites. The area was visited by various travelling cultures, such as the
Phoenicians and Greek traders. In the 6th century bc the Carthaginians
had control, then lost it to the Roman Empire, who called the Iberian
peninsula ‘Hispania Ulterior’. The most difficult of local tribes the
Romans found lived north of Lisbon, and were known as the Lusitani,
after whom the land had originally been named. The Romans, as
elsewhere, left many signs of their time there, not only in buildings, but
also in the language spoken by the invaders and their diverse legions
of men. By the 5th century ad, invaders from the barbaric northern
tribes had made their presence felt: Vandals, and Visigoths to name but
two. But the southern invasions of Moors from northern Africa were
to have a far longer and far-reaching impact on the territory, as they
also did in neighbouring Spain. They arrived in 711, and stayed until
the 13th century. They settled well and brought new farming methods,
fruits and a relatively calm way of life. Linguistically, they also left some
traces, though far less than the Romans before them. By the 8th century,
Portugal was known as Portuscale and was ruled over by the king of
Leon in Spain. This was not the only time over the next few hundred
years that Portugal was under the control of its neighbours. It is perhaps
not that surprising that there is a saying in Portuguese – from Spain come
neither fair winds nor good marriages (De Espanha nem bom vento nem
bom casamento)!

By the 12th century, Iberia had started its fight back against the Moors.
In 1179 the Pope finally recognized a Portuguese kingdom, ruled over
by Afonso Henriques, who successfully battled against the Moors in the
1139 Battle of Ourique. Throughout Europe the Reconquest against
the Moors was in full swing, having become the ‘Western Crusade’,
and finally Portuguese territory was rid of its invaders and had its
boundaries officially recognized by Castille in 1297 in the Treaty of
Alcañices. In 1288, under the rule of Dom Dinis, known as the farmer
and poet king, the first university was established, first in Lisbon, and
later transferred to Coimbra. To this day, Coimbra remains a famous
seat of learning, often likened to Oxford or Cambridge. In 1308

Only got ten minutes? 11

 Portugal and England signed their original pact of friendship, which
was later cemented in the Treaty of Windsor in 1386, making the two
countries the oldest allies in the world. In fact, this link with the English
had proved rather fortuitous when, faced with another bloody battle
against the Spanish, King João 1 called upon the help of English archers
in the Battle of Aljubarrota. It was his marriage to Phillippa, daughter
of John O’Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster that gave him the requisite
opportunity to call in favours.

Over the next two centuries Portugal entered a period of immense

activity which was to have a profound effect upon the rest of the world,
as well as establish it as one of the world’s leading lights in science,
navigation, astronomy and geography. The era of explorations – the
Discoveries – were initially sparked by a shortage of gold in Europe,
together with the continuing idea of the Crusades. The Portuguese
became masters of the map, creating their own style of boat, the
caravela, and developing navigational equipment such as the compass.
They were sponsored in much of their activities by Prince Henry (later
called ‘the Navigator’ by English writers, although he never actually
sailed himself). Many of the most famous navigators you may have
heard of were of Portuguese provenance: Bartolomeu Dias rounding
the Cape of Good Hope, Vasco da Gama reaching Calicut and opening
up the routes to the East, Pedro Cabral discovering Brazil, and the
circumnavigation of the world by Ferdinand Magellan (yes, Portuguese,
but in the service of Spain!). By 1494 in fact, Spain and Portugal
divided up the known world between them in the Treaty of Tordesillas!
Portuguese expansion was relentless: trade was prolific, with spices
being brought back from the Indies, gold from Africa and later Brazil,
sugar and wine from Madeira, amongst very many more. The hot curry
you may enjoy on a Saturday night out, the vindaloo, is an example
of Portuguese presence in India – the main ingredients being wine and
garlic – vinho and alho.

Despite running into problems as a consequence of over-spending on

the voyages, Portugal took its place with the rest of Europe in full
Renaissance swing, and the Arts and education thrived. However
by 1560, the national trading corporation, the Casa da Índia, was
bankrupt, and 20 years later Portugal was once more under Spanish

12
rule. As the Portuguese (and Spanish) monopoly of the seas started to
fade, allowing Dutch and English explorers leeway to take over, a new
Royal House was established in Portugal, that of the Braganças, and
greater emphasis was placed on looking after Brazil, and reaping the
benefit of its gold. In 1661 Catherine of Bragança married Charles II of
England, once more strengthening the links between the two countries
and in 1668 Spain finally recognized Portugal’s independence (again!).
The links between the old allies allowed for many traditions to be
introduced into each court: Catherine introduced the drinking of tea to
the English (the Portuguese had brought it back from their travels), and
marmalade (marmelada from quince jelly) was also brought in from
Catherine’s court. This great alliance was called upon once more, for
far more important reasons, in the Peninsular War, waged against Spain
by Napoleon. The Portuguese royal family fled to the safety of Brazil,
the British came to the aid of their friends in the famous battle of the
Torres Vedras lines. Brazil became a kingship on an equal footing with
Portugal, and the wine trade became a stronghold for British businesses.
In 1908 the king and his son were assassinated in Lisbon, and Portugal
finally became a Republic.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th century Portugal felt the influence
of the rest of Europe in terms of the Arts and politics. Socialist
undercurrents dominated and were to re-surface in the 1970s in the
form of a Communist-led uprising against the regime of the dictator
Salazar. The longest-run fascist regime in Europe was overturned, and
since then Portugal has taken its place within Europe and, despite
having had significant levels of poverty and high rates of illiteracy, has
progressed to emerge once more as a key player in European events. Its
younger generations are highly-trained and computer-savvy, and can
compete with the world’s best. Its older generations are still locked into
the past, and many still hold that yearning (saudades) for Portugal’s
golden past. And it is that juxtaposition of old and new which attract
so many visitors to this small country, which discovered so much of our
known world, which invented so many important items and introduced
so much from distant shores to our European countries. And the link
between all those far-flung places, still accessible today? The language of
course.

Only got ten minutes? 13

 Portuguese is mainly a Latin language, and as such, follows many
patterns evident in other Romance languages you may be familiar with.
Its verbs, for example, are fully conjugated (have different endings for
each person), and words such as nouns and adjectives change their
endings (there are masculine and feminine words). If you have a good
knowledge of French, Spanish or Italian, you will have no problem in
approaching Portuguese, especially the written language. The language
as spoken can initially throw some people, as it sounds something
akin to Russian in its intonation. But it is beautifully melodic, albeit
sometimes rather difficult to decipher when listening: many people
‘chop off’ the endings of words (and even the beginnings too), run
everything together and speak as though they are not even opening their
mouths. Actually, Portuguese people do open their mouths less than
their Brazilian cousins, and it is far easier to understand the open vowel
sounds of a Brazilian speaker. The main differences between the two
variants of the language are the pronunciation of certain sounds, and
vocabulary. Some grammatical structures are also slightly different. A
new spelling agreement, long in the making, has just come into place,
with the aim of standardizing spelling across the whole Portuguese
world. But wherever you are in Luso-world, you can generally make
yourself understood, whichever variant you speak.

For those people reading this with no prior experience of learning a

language, Portuguese also has many words which are very similar to
English. There are certain patterns of endings, such as -ção which is
the equivalent of -tion in English, such as in the words for station and
co-operation – estação and cooperação. Portuguese uses the same
alphabet as English and the same script, so there are no strange symbols
to learn. Portuguese is now the world’s 8th most used language on
the Internet – it is a fully modern language with IT terminology, and
even when you go back to some of its early writing, it is still fairly
straightforward to read. It is the language of some fabulous literature,
amazing Brazilian films, fantastic world music, and some of the most
charming people you will meet anywhere. Speak Portuguese with
confidence is designed to give you lots of listening practice with the
language, this being the main skill most learners have the most trouble
with. Along the way, you will pick up the confidence to have a go in
everyday situations whilst you are in Portuguese-speaking countries. All

14
the main dialogues are also contained in the this booklet, and you may
surprise yourself how much you can actually read from the start. Listen
to the recordings when you are fairly relaxed, and don’t try to do too
much all at once. Over time the language will become more familiar, and
when you are next in Portugal, or Brazil, or elsewhere, take the time to
eavesdrop – at cafés, in shops, at the station – the more you listen the
more you’ll learn!

Boa Sorte! Good luck and enjoy your Portuguese adventure.

Only got ten minutes? 15

 Conversation 1: Meeting and greeting

PART 1: GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE

LI CD1, TR3

Luís Bom dia.

Ana Bom dia.
Luís Como se chama?
Ana Chamo-me Ana Mendes, e o senhor?
Luís Chamo-me Luís Pinheiro.
Ana Muito prazer.
Luís Igualmente.
Ana De onde é, Luís?
Luís Sou de Lisboa, e a senhora?
Ana Sou de Faro.

PART 2: HOW ARE YOU?

LI CD1, TR8

Paulo Boa tarde.

Isabel Olá, Paulo, como está?
Paulo Bem, obrigado, e você?
Isabel Muito bem, obrigada. Até logo.
Paulo Tchau!

16
Luís Good morning.
Ana Good morning.
Luís What are you called?
Ana I’m called Ana Mendes, and you?
Luís I’m called Luís Pinheiro.
Ana Pleased to meet you.
Luís Likewise.
Ana Where are you from, Luís?
Luís I’m from Lisbon, and you?
Ana I’m from Faro.

Paulo Good afternoon.

Isabel Hi, Paulo, how are you?
Paulo Well, thanks, and you?
Isabel Very well, thank you. See you later.
Paulo Bye!

Conversation 1: Meeting and greeting 17

 Conversation 2: Eating out

PART 1: HAVING A SNACK

LI CD1, TR11

Ana Faz favor!

Waiter Diga.
Ana Uma tosta mista e um pastel de nata, se faz favor.
Waiter E para beber?
Ana Um sumo de laranja e uma bica.
(After eating…)
Ana Quanto é?
Waiter Quatro euros.
Ana Obrigada.
Waiter Obrigado.

Insight
Ana asks for uma bica (an espresso coffee). In Lisbon and
northern Portugal you are more likely to hear people simply
asking for um café, and in Porto you may even hear the
expression um cimbalino, named after the Italian coffee
machine Cimbali. A large white coffee is a café com leite or a
meia de leite, and a large milky coffee in a glass is a galão.

PART 2: HAVING A MEAL

LI CD1, TR15

Paulo Faz favor!

Waiter Diga.
Paulo Para mim, uma feijoada, se faz favor.
Waiter E para beber?
Paulo Uma garrafa de vinho tinto.
(After eating…)
Paulo Quanto é?
Waiter Dez euros.
Paulo Obrigado.
Waiter Obrigado.

18
Ana Excuse me!
Waiter Can I help you?
Ana A cheese and ham toastie and a custard tart, please.
Waiter And to drink?
Ana A fresh orange juice and a small black coffee (espresso).
(After eating…)
Ana How much is it?
Waiter Four euros.
Ana Thank you.
Waiter Thank you.

Paulo Excuse me!

Waiter Can I help you?
Paulo For me, a bean stew, please.
Waiter And to drink?
Paulo A bottle of red wine.
(After eating…)
Paulo How much is it/that?
Waiter Ten euros.
Paulo Thank you.
Waiter Thank you.

Conversation 2: Eating out 19

 Conversation 3: Shopping for food

PART 1: AT THE MARKET

LI CD1, TR18

Stall-holder Bom dia. Diga, se faz favor.

Luís Bom dia. Queria quatro quilos de laranjas
e um quilo de maçãs.
Stall-holder Mais alguma coisa?
Luís Sim, também queria dez cebolas, meio quilo de
tomates, e um melão.
Stall-holder Que mais?
Luís É tudo, obrigado. Quanto é?
Stall-holder Seis euros.

PART 2: AT THE GROCER’S

LI CD1, TR22

Shopkeeper Boa tarde. Diga, se faz favor.

Ana Olá, boa tarde. Queria uma garrafa de vinho branco,
e um litro de leite.
Shopkeeper Que mais?
Ana Também queria cem gramas de queijo e cento e
cinquenta de fiambre, faz favor. Ah, e uma carcaça.
Shopkeeper Mais alguma coisa?
Ana Não, obrigada, é tudo.

20
Stall-holder Good morning. Can I help you, please?
Luís Good morning. I’d like four kilos of oranges and
a kilo of apples.
Stall-holder Anything else?
Luís Yes, I’d also like ten onions, half a kilo of tomatoes,
and a melon.
Stall-holder What else?
Luís That’s all, thanks. How much is it?
Stall-holder Six euros.

Shopkeeper Good afternoon. Can I help you, please?

Ana Hello, good afternoon. I’d like a bottle of
white wine, and a litre of milk.
Shopkeeper What else?
Ana Also I’d like 100 grams of cheese and 150 (grams)
of boiled ham, please. Ah, and a loaf.
Shopkeeper Anything else?
Ana No, thanks, that’s all.

Conversation 3: Shopping for food 21

 Conversation 4: Making bookings

PART 1: AT THE HOTEL

LI CD1, TR25

Luís Boa tarde.

Receptionist Boa tarde, senhor. Faz favor?
Luís Tem um quarto vago para hoje?
Receptionist Para quantas pessoas?
Luís Para duas.
Receptionist E para quantas noites?
Luís Para seis.
Receptionist Temos um quarto com banho.
Luís Quanto é?
Receptionist Sessenta euros por noite, com pequeno almoço
incluído.
Luís Está bem.

PART 2: AT A RESTAURANT
LI CD1, TR29

Paulo Olá, boa noite.

Waiter Boa noite.
Paulo Tem uma mesa para quatro pessoas?
Waiter Só temos a partir das oito horas.
Paulo Muito bem.
(They return later at eight o’clock.)
Waiter Boa noite.
Isabel Tem uma mesa na esplanada?
Waiter Pode ser esta?
Isabel Sim, obrigada.

Insight
Tem and bem are good examples of words with the nasal
sounds so common in Portuguese. The final -m should
sound somewhere between an -m and an -n. Very difficult to
imagine – my students often practise by holding their nose and
hearing, or feeling the ‘twang’ sound they are making: ‘taymn’,
‘baymn’, and not an English ‘temm’ or ‘bemm’.
22
Luís Good afternoon.
Receptionist Good afternoon, sir. Can I help you?
Luís Do you have a room free for today?
Receptionist For how many people?
Luís For two.
Receptionist And for how many nights?
Luís For six.
Receptionist We have a room with (bathroom) en-suite.
Luís How much is it?
Receptionist Sixty euros per night, with breakfast
included.
Luís OK.

Paulo Hello, good evening.

Waiter Good evening.
Paulo Do you have a table for four people?
Waiter We only have (one) from eight o’clock.
Paulo OK.
(They return later at eight o’clock.)
Waiter Good evening.
Isabel Do you have a table on the terrace?
Waiter Will this one do?
Isabel Yes, thanks.

Conversation 4: Making bookings 23

 Conversation 5: Problem solving

PART 1: IN THE HOTEL

LI CD1, TR32

Ana Desculpe incomodar; tenho um problema no quarto.

Receptionist Ah sim?
Ana Sim – o ar condicionado não funciona, e a água
está fria. Também faltam toalhas. Podia trocar
de quarto?
Receptionist Com certeza.

PART 2: AT A RESTAURANT
LI CD1, TR36

Luís Faz favor, temos um problema aqui.

Waiter Ah sim, diga.
Luís O garfo está sujo. Podia trazer outro?
Waiter Com certeza. Mais alguma coisa?
Luís Sim, também falta leite, e o bife está
mal-passado.
Waiter Desculpe.

24
Ana Sorry to bother you, I have a problem in the room.
Receptionist Oh yes?
Ana Yes – the air-conditioning doesn’t work, and the
water is cold. Also there are towels missing. Could I
change rooms?
Receptionist Of course.

Luís Excuse me, we have a problem here.

Waiter Oh yes, tell me.
Luís The fork is dirty. Could you bring another one?
Waiter Of course. Anything else?
Luís Yes, also there’s milk missing, and the steak
is under-cooked.
Waiter Sorry.

Conversation 5: Problem solving 25

 Conversation 6: On the move

PART 1: CATCHING A TRAIN

LI CD2, TR2

Ana Bom dia. Queria um bilhete para Lisboa, se faz favor.

Booking clerk De ida, ou de ida e volta?
Ana De ida e volta, segunda classe. A que horas parte o
comboio?
Clerk Parte às oito horas.
Ana E a que horas chega?
Clerk Chega às onze e meia.
Ana Qual é a linha?
Clerk É a linha número três.
Ana Quanto é?
Clerk Quinze euros.
Ana Obrigada.

Insight
Ana asks Qual é a linha?, to ask for the platform number. Try
to think of it in terms of asking for the number of the line
(track). You can also use the word plataforma, or cais. You
will even come across signs in stations indicating gare, from
the French.

PART 2: AT THE BUS STOP

LI CD2, TR6

Isabel Desculpe, podia dizer-me se este é o autocarro

para Lagoa?
Driver Não é este, não.
(Oh dear – not the right one. They decide to ask the driver of the next bus.)
Isabel Desculpe, vai para Lagoa?
Driver Vou, sim.
Isabel Então, três bilhetes, por favor.
Driver São seis euros.

26
Ana Good morning. I’d like a ticket to Lisbon, please.
Booking clerk Single, or return?
Ana Return, second class. At what time does the train
depart?
Clerk It departs at eight o’clock.
Ana And at what time does it arrive?
Clerk It arrives at half past eleven.
Ana What platform is it?
Clerk It’s platform number three.
Ana How much is it?
Clerk Fifteen euros.
Ana Thank you.

Isabel Excuse me, could you tell me if this is the bus

to Lagoa?
Driver It’s not this one, no.
(Oh dear – not the right one. They decide to ask the driver of the next bus.)
Isabel Excuse me, are you going to Lagoa?
Driver I’m going, yes.
Isabel In that case, three tickets, please.
Driver That’s six euros.

Conversation 6: On the move 27

 Conversation 7: Enjoying yourself

PART 1: ASKING ABOUT LOCAL INFORMATION

LI CD2, TR9

Luís Bom dia. Tem informações sobre Lisboa?

Tourism officer Pois sim. Aqui tem um folheto e um mapa.
Luís Obrigado. O que há para fazer hoje?
Tourism officer Hoje? Há visitas guiadas ao castelo, e há excursões
para o rio.
Luís A que horas?
Tourism officer Às dez e meia e também às duas horas.
Luís E qual é o preço?
Tourism officer Para o castelo é grátis, e para o rio são cinco euros
por pessoa.
Luís Muito obrigado.

PART 2: BUYING TICKETS FOR A SHOW

LI CD2, TR13

Ana Boa tarde. Podia dizer-me o que há para fazer esta

noite?
Ticket clerk Esta noite há um espetáculo de Fado – música tradicional.
Ana Quanto custa a entrada?
Clerk São vinte euros, com jantar incluído.
Ana Muito bem, então quatro, por favor.

Conversation 8: Finding the way

PART 1: FINDING OUT WHERE THE BANK IS

LI CD2, TR16

Isabel Desculpe, o senhor sabe se há um banco aqui perto?

Passer-by Há, sim, há um banco aqui muito perto. A senhora
vira aqui à esquerda e toma a primeira rua à direita. O
banco é na esquina.

28
Luís Good morning. Do you have information about Lisbon?
Tourism officer Well yes. Here you have a leaflet and a map.
Luís Thank you. What is there to do today?
Tourism officer Today? There are guided visits to the castle, and
there are trips to the river.
Luís At what time?
Tourism officer At half past ten and also at two o’clock.
Luís And what is the price?
Tourism officer To the castle it’s free, and to the river it’s five euros
per person.
Luís Thank you very much.

Ana Good afternoon. Could you tell me what there is to

do tonight?
Ticket clerk Tonight there is a Fado show – traditional music.
Ana How much is the entry price?
Clerk It’s 20 euros, with dinner included.
Ana Very well, in that case, four, please.

Isabel Excuse me, do you know if there is a bank near here?

Passer-by There is, yes, there’s a bank very near here. You turn
here to the left and (you) take the first road on the
right. The bank is on the corner.

Conversation 8: Finding the way 29

 Isabel Obrigada. Sabe também onde fica o teatro
Coliseu?
Passer-by Sim, sim. A senhora vira aqui, e o teatro fica
à direita.
Isabel Muito obrigada.
Passer-by De nada.

PART 2: GETTING THERE

LI CD2, TR20

Luís Desculpe, para o teatro Coliseu, por favor?

Passer-by Pois, o senhor atravessa a praça aqui, continua em
frente, e toma a terceira à direita.
Luís Fica longe?
Passer-by São só vinte minutos a pé.
(As time is getting on, they decide to go by taxi.)
Isabel Para o Coliseu, por favor.
Taxi driver Muito bem.
Isabel Quanto é?
Taxi driver São seis euros.
Isabel Aqui está, obrigada.
Taxi driver De nada.

Insight
The pronunciation of the -g in longe is soft: lonzhe, almost like
the zh in Dr. Zhivago. That is also the sound made when a -g
is followed by an i, such as in girafa (giraffe). Before a, o, or
u, the g is a hard sound like in the English got: galinha (hen),
golfe, guru. Portuguese ‘gua’ is pronounced ‘gwa’, and ‘gui’ is
‘ghee’.

30
Isabel Thank you. Do you know also where the Coliseu
theatre is (located)?
Passer-by Yes, yes. You turn here, and the theatre is (located) on
the right.
Isabel Thank you very much.
Passer-by Don’t mention it.

Luís Excuse me, to the Coliseu theatre, please?

Passer-by Well, you cross the square here, you carry on ahead,
and take the third on the right.
Luís Is it (located) far?
Passer-by It’s only 20 minutes on foot.
(As time is getting on, they decide to go by taxi.)
Isabel To the Coliseu, please.
Taxi driver Very well.
Isabel How much is it?
Taxi driver It’s six euros.
Isabel Here you are, thanks.
Taxi driver Don’t mention it.

Conversation 8: Finding the way 31

 Conversation 9: Health matters

PART 1: FEELING ILL

LI CD2, TR23

Isabel Então, Luís, tudo bem?

Luís Não, não me sinto nada bem.
Isabel O que é que tem?
Luís Dói-me o estômago e também a cabeça.
Isabel Tomou alguma coisa?
Luís Sim, tomei uma aspirina.
Isabel Não seria melhor descansar um pouco?
Luís Está bem, mas primeiro preciso de ir à farmácia.

PART 2: GOING TO THE CHEMIST’S

LI CD2, TR27

Luís Boa tarde. Tem alguma coisa para dores de

garganta?
Pharmacist Temos, sim. Temos este xarope muito bom.
Luís E também para dores de cabeça?
Pharmacist Pois, há estes comprimidos bastante fortes. O senhor
toma três vezes por dia, com água.
Luís Muito bem. Acha que é grave?
Pharmacist Não, não senhor – é só uma constipação.
Luís Está bem, então quanto é?
Pharmacist São quatro euros e cinquenta.

Conversation 10: Shopping for pleasure

PART 1: SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES AND SHOES

LI CD2, TR30

Luís Bom dia. Queria uma camisa de manga curta, por favor.
Assistant Com certeza. Que número veste?
Luís Número quarenta e oito.

32
Isabel Well then, Luís, everything well?
Luís No, I don’t feel at all well.
Isabel What’s the matter?
Luís My stomach aches and also my head.
Isabel Have you taken something?
Luís Yes, I’ve had an aspirin.
Isabel Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little?
Luís OK, but first I need to go to the chemist’s.

Luís Good afternoon. Do you have something for a sore

throat?
Pharmacist Yes, we have. We have this very good cough
medicine.
Luís And also for a headache?
Pharmacist Well, there are these quite strong tablets. You take
three times a day, with water.
Luís Very well. Do you think it’s serious?
Pharmacist No, no sir – it’s just a cold.
Luís OK, in that case how much is it?
Pharmacist It’s four euros and 50.

Luís Good morning. I’d like a short-sleeved shirt, please.

Assistant Of course. What size do you wear?
Luís Number 48.

Conversation 10: Shopping for pleasure 33

 Assistant E que cor prefere?
Luís Azul ou verde.
Assistant Bem, só temos azul ou branco em quarenta e oito.
Luís Pois prefiro esta azul. Posso experimentar?
Assistant Claro.
(Meanwhile, Ana is looking for sandals.)
Ana Bom dia. Tem sandálias, por favor?
Assistant Que número calça?
Ana Trinta e sete.
Assistant Temos estas em promoção.
Ana Qual é o preço?
Assistant São dez euros.
Ana Muito bem, então vou levar estas, obrigada.

Insight
When Ana says she is going to take (have) the sandals, she
says vou levar estas (I’m going to take these). This is an easy
structure to express a future idea, just as in English. Use the
appropriate part of the verb to go (ir): I = vou; he, she, it and
polite you = vai; we = vamos; they, you plural = vão, PLUS the
action word (verb) in its basic form as found in the dictionary.
Hence, vou (I go, I’m going) + levar (to take). You might say:
vou comprar (I’m going to buy); vai chover (it’s going to rain);
vamos visitar (we’re going to visit); vão beber (they’re going to
drink).

PART 2: BUYING SOUVENIRS

LI CD2, TR34

Shopkeeper Bom dia, senhor. Que deseja?

Paulo Bom dia. Estou a procurar uma lembrança típica de
Portugal. O que há?
Shopkeeper Há cerâmica, há garrafas de vinho do Porto, há
galos...O que prefere?
Paulo Bom, tem cerâmica vermelha?
Shopkeeper Temos, sim, e também azul e amarela.
Paulo Então, vou levar isto e também dois galos.
Shopkeeper Boa escolha.
34
Assistant And what colour do you prefer?
Luís Blue or green.
Assistant Well, we only have blue or white in 48.
Luís Well I prefer this blue one. Can I try (it) on?
Assistant Of course.
(Meanwhile, Ana is looking for sandals.)
Ana Good morning. Do you have sandals, please?
Assistant What size do you take?
Ana Thirty-seven.
Assistant We have these on offer.
Ana What is the price?
Assistant They are ten euros.
Ana Very well, in that case I’m going to take these, thanks.

Shopkeeper Good morning, sir. What would you like?

Paulo Good morning. I’m looking for a typical souvenir of
Portugal. What is there?
Shopkeeper There is pottery, there are bottles of Port wine, there
are cockerels...What do you prefer?
Paulo Good, do you have red pottery?
Shopkeeper We have, yes, and also blue and yellow.
Paulo Well then, I’m going to take this and also two cockerels.
Shopkeeper Good choice.
Conversation 10: Shopping for pleasure 35
 CD3

GETTING DIRECTIONS
LI CD3, TR3, 2:00

Lady Desculpe!
Man Sim?
Lady Onde fica a praça de táxis mais próxima?
Man É no centro da cidade, na avenida da Liberdade.
Lady Fica longe?
Man Não, não fica muito longe – só dez minutos a pé.

Insight
To ask for the nearest taxi-rank, the lady referred to the praça
de táxis mais próxima, literally, the taxi-rank more near (note
the word order). To state the cheapest, fastest, most expensive,
etc. in Portuguese, use the word mais (more), plus an adjective
(a describing word), which must match its ending (‘agree’) with
the thing it is describing. So it could be masculine, feminine,
singular or plural. The cheapest tickets are os bilhetes mais
baratos, the fastest train o comboio mais rápido and the most
expensive wines os vinhos mais caros.

DISCUSSING WHERE TO GO OUT

LI CD3, TR3, 3:46

Pedro Cristina, o que é que vamos fazer esta noite?

Cristina Olha, Pedro, eu queria visitar a nova galeria de arte.
Pedro Ah, arte não, por favor!
Cristina Então, o que preferes, Pedro?
Pedro Pessoalmente, quero ir a um concerto. Há música
clássica hoje no teatro nacional.
Cristina Está bem.

36
Lady Excuse me!
Man Yes?
Lady Where is the nearest taxi rank?
Man It’s in the town centre, on Liberty Avenue.
Lady Is it far?
Man No, it’s not very far – only ten minutes on foot.

Pedro Cristina, what are we going to do tonight?

Cristina Look, Pedro, I would like to visit the new art gallery.
Pedro Oh, art, no, please!
Cristina Well then, what do you prefer, Pedro?
Pedro Personally, I want to go to a concert. There is classical
music today at the National Theatre.
Cristina OK.

CD3: Discussing where to go out 37

 DISCUSSING THE WEATHER
LI CD3, TR5, 2:30

Girl Que tempo vai fazer amanhã?

Boy Amanhã, provavelmente, vai fazer sol.
Girl E no sábado?
Boy No sábado, muito calor e temperaturas
de vinte e cinco graus.
Girl Excelente! Vamos para a praia?

AT THE VENDING MACHINE

LI CD3, TR5, 6:18

Man Como funciona esta máquina?

Lady Pois, tem que introduzir a moeda aqui, e carregar
no botão.
Man Como?
Lady A moeda aqui, e este botão aqui. Pronto!

INTERVIEW WITH MARIA

LI CD3, TR6, 0:22

Man Bom dia. Como se chama?

Maria Olá bom dia. O meu nome é Maria.
Man Muito prazer Maria. É portuguesa?
Maria Sou, sim. Sou do norte de Portugal.
Man Onde mora?
Maria Moro em Braga.
Man É casada?
Maria Não, sou divorciada
Man Tem filhos?
Maria Tenho, sim – um filho, o José, e duas filhas,
a Ana e a Paula.

38
Girl What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow?
Boy Tomorrow, probably, it’s going to be sunny.
Girl And on Saturday?
Boy On Saturday, very hot and temperatures of
25 degrees.
Girl Excellent! Shall we go to the beach?

Man How does this machine work?

Lady Well, you have to insert the coin here, and press
the button.
Man How?
Lady The coin here, and this button here. There you are!

Man Good morning (hello). What is your name?

Maria Hello, good morning. My name is Maria.
Man Pleased to meet you Maria. Are you Portuguese?
Maria Yes, I am. I am from the north of Portugal.
Man Where do you live?
Maria I live in Braga.
Man Are you married?
Maria No, I’m divorced.
Man Do you have children?
Maria Yes I do (have) – a son, José, and two daughters,
Ana and Paula.

CD3: Interview with Maria 39

 Insight
Pronouncing nh and lh, such as in Maria’s last sentence –
tenho, filho, filhas, is often tricky at first. My students try to
remember the sound in the middle of onion for nh, and million
for lh. Remember as well, that ch in Portuguese is like sh in
English, so chocolate in Portugal is said ‘shocolate’.

GREETING FRIENDS
LI CD3, TR6, 3:28

Paulo Oi, tudo bem?

Girl Olá Paulo, como está?
Paulo Ótimo! E você?
Girl Eu estou bem obrigada.

IN THE RESTAURANT
LI CD3, TR8, 2:25

Waiter Então, já escolheram?

Man Bom, para começar, uma sopa de tomate e uma sopa
de legumes.
Waiter E depois?
Man Para mim, era um bife, bem-passado, com uma salada
mista e batatas fritas.
Waiter E para a senhora?
Lady Eu queria o linguado. Como vem?
Waiter Vem com arroz, batatas cozidas e salada.
Lady Muito bem, obrigada.

ORDERING DESSERTS
LI CD3, TR8, 5:39

Waiter Agora, vão querer sobremesa?

Lady Ah, sim, eu quero – vamos ver, sim – uma mousse de
chocolate se faz favor.

40
Paulo Hi, everything OK?
Girl Hi Paulo. How are you?
Paulo Great! And you?
Girl I’m well, thanks.

Waiter Well then, have you chosen?

Man Right, for starters, a tomato soup and a vegetable
soup.
Waiter And then?
Man For me, it’ll be steak, well-done, with a mixed salad
and chips.
Waiter And for madam?
Lady I would like the sole. How does it come?
Waiter It comes with rice, chips and salad.
Lady Very well, thank you.

Waiter Now then, are you going to want dessert?

Lady Ah yes, I am (I want) – let’s see, yes, a chocolate
mousse please.

CD3: Ordering desserts 41

 Man Para mim, não obrigado, não quero.
Waiter E cafés?
Lady Sim, por favor – duas bicas. E uma garrafa de água com
gás. Obrigada.

IN A GROCER’S SHOP
LI CD3, TR10, 0:33

Grocer Bom dia minha senhora. Que deseja?

Lady Bom dia senhor Silva. Queria fiambre
faz favor.
Grocer Quanto?
Lady Pode ser trezentos gramas mais ou menos.
Grocer Que mais?
Lady Tem laranjas hoje?
Grocer Temos, sim, muito boas. Quantas quer?
Lady Umas cinco por favor. Quanto é?
Grocer São três euros, obrigado.

Insight
Quanto, quanto, quanto ... The questioning phrase quanto é?
(how much is it?) is extremely useful for your everyday dealings
in Portugal and Brazil. The word quanto can also change its
ending, as an adjective, depending on what it refers to. Mr
Silva the grocer wanted to know how much ham the lady
wants, so uses quanto?. He also asks how many oranges she
wants: quantas quer? The four versions are: quanto, quanta,
quantos, quantas. Try to listen out for these different forms
when you are in shops or restaurants.

42
Man For me, no thanks, I don’t want (any).
Waiter And coffees?
Lady Yes please – two espressos. And a bottle of fizzy water.
Thank you.

Grocer Good morning madam. What would you like?

Lady Good morning Mr Silva. I’d like some boiled ham,
please.
Grocer How much?
Lady About 300 grams, more or less.
Grocer What else?
Lady Do you have any oranges today?
Grocer Yes, we have, very good ones. How many do you want?
Lady About five please. How much is that?
Grocer That’s three euros, thank you.

CD3: In a grocer’s shop 43

 BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM
LI CD3, TR10, 2:46

Receptionist Hotel Continental, boa tarde.

Lady Boa tarde. Queria reservar um quarto de casal
se faz favor.
Receptionist Para quando?
Lady Para o dia quinze de abril.
Receptionist E para quantas noites?
Lady Para cinco.

ANOTHER GROCER’S SHOP

LI CD3, TR11, 0:55

Grocer Boa tarde. Que deseja?

Customer Boa tarde. Queria meio quilo de açúcar e
um quilo de farinha.
Grocer Que mais?
Customer Um pacote de manteiga – tem sem
sal?
Grocer Temos – está ali. Mais alguma coisa?
Customer Duzentos gramas de presunto, fatias finas faz favor.
Grocer Mais?
Customer Um litro de azeite, e dez ovos. É tudo, obrigada.

BOOKING A TABLE FOR DINNER

LI CD3, TR13, 0:30

Restaurant Restaurante Girassol, boa tarde.

Man Olá, boa tarde. Gostava de reservar uma mesa,
por favor.
Restaurant Para quando?
Man Para a sexta-feira, às sete e meia.
Restaurant Para quantas pessoas?
Man Somos cinco. Pode ser?

44
Receptionist Hotel Continental, good afternoon.
Lady Good afternoon. I would like to reserve a double
room, please.
Receptionist For when?
Lady For the 15th of April.
Receptionist And for how many nights?
Lady For five.

Grocer Good afternoon. What would you like?

Customer Good afternoon. I’d like half a kilo of sugar and
a kilo of flour.
Grocer What else?
Customer A packet of butter – do you have unsalted (without
salt)?
Grocer We have – it’s there. Anything else?
Customer Two hundred grams of smoked ham, thin slices, please.
Grocer What else?
Customer A litre of olive oil, and ten eggs. That’s all, thanks.

Restaurant Restaurant Girassol (Sunflower), good afternoon.

Man Hello, good afternoon. I would like to reserve a
table, please.
Restaurant For when?
Man For Friday, at 7.30.
Restaurant For how many people?
Man Five of us. Is that possible?

CD3: Booking a table for dinner 45

 Restaurant Bom, para as 7.30 é um pouco difícil. Para as oito,
já é mais possível.
Man Então, está bem, sim.
Restaurant Em que nome fica?
Man José Martins.

Insight
Friday, sexta-feira, is not a ‘seXy day’ but a seshta-fayra. The
x-sound in Portuguese is one of the trickiest to remember as it
keeps changing. It can be an English x-sound (ks), such as táxi;
sh, sexta; z, exercício, and ss, próximo. Don’t worry too much
about it right now, but try to note down sounds of new words
as you come across them.

MAKING A DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT

LI CD3, TR13, 2:20

Receptionist Está?
Man Bom dia. Queria marcar uma consulta com a
Doutora Pereira.
Receptionist Para que dia?
Man Para amanhã , se for possível.
Receptionist Pode ser às dez e um quarto?
Man Pode, sim. Perfeito.
Receptionist Qual é o seu nome?
Man Paulo Monteiro.

46
Restaurant Well, for 7.30 it’s a bit difficult. For 8 o’clock it’s
more possible.
Man Well, OK then.
Restaurant In whose name?
Man José Martins.

Receptionist Hello?
Man Good morning. I would like to make an
appointment with Dr Pereira.
Receptionist For what day?
Man For tomorrow, if possible.
Receptionist Is 10.15 OK?
Man Yes, perfect.
Receptionist What is your name?
Man Paulo Monteiro.

CD3: Making a doctor’s appointment 47

 AT THE LOST PROPERTY OFFICE
LI CD3, TR15, 0:40

Clerk Bom dia senhor, diga lá.

Man Olá, bom dia. Perdi a minha pasta.
Clerk Onde perdeu?
Man No centro comercial Colombo, ao lado do elevador.

Insight
You may not have formerly learned any past tenses yet, but
the man at the lost property office says perdi a minha pasta
(I lost or I have lost my briefcase). This is an example of the
simple past tense, known in Portuguese terms as the preterite
tense. Don’t worry about the terminology, but do try and learn
a handful of expressions in the Past. This tense is all about
actions which have happened and are over with. My students
try to incorporate a few to break the ice when in Portugal or
Brazil, even if they are relative beginners. You could try these
out for starters:

AT THE GARAGE
LI CD3, TR16, 0:43

Customer Desculpe, podia ajudar por favor?

Mechanic Qual é o problema?
Customer Não sei exatamente, mas o carro não anda muito bem.
Podia verificar a água para mim?
A few minutes later…
Mechanic Bom, não há problema com a água, nem com o óleo.
Agora, vamos ver.
Customer Os pneus?
Mechanic Os pneus estão bons.
Customer O motor?
Mechanic O motor está bom. Então só pode ser uma coisa.
Customer O quê?
Mechanic Não tem gasolina!

48
Clerk Good morning sir, how can I help?
Man Hello, good morning. I’ve lost my briefcase.
Clerk Where did you lose it?
Man At the Colombo shopping centre, next to the lift.

Fui I went/I have been

Vi I saw/have seen
Comi I ate/have eaten
Bebi I drank/have drunk
Comprei I bought/have bought
Visitei I visited/have visited

And to make them negative, just stick a não before the verb:
não bebi – I did not drink/ have not drunk, etc.

Customer Excuse me, could you help please?

Mechanic What’s the problem?
Customer I don’t know exactly, but my car isn’t going very well.
Could you check the water for me?
A few minutes later…
Mechanic Well, there’s no problem with the water, nor with the
oil. Right then, let’s see.
Customer The tyres?
Mechanic The tyres are fine.
Customer The engine?
Mechanic The engine is fine. So it can only be one thing.
Customer What?
Mechanic It has no petrol!

CD3: At the garage 49

 AT THE FOOTBALL TICKET OFFICE
LI CD3, TR18, 0:45

Paulo Olá. A que horas começa o jogo entre o Benfica e o

Sporting?
Clerk Começa às dezoito e trenta da tarde.
Paulo Quando posso comprar o bilhete?
Clerk Amanhã de manhã, a partir das nove horas.

DECIDING WHEN TO MEET

LI CD3, TR18, 1:39

Man 1 Então, Ana, vamos ao teatro no sábado?

Ana No sábado, estou ocupada. Não pode ser no domingo?
Man 2 Domingo, sim, mas eu não quero ir à noite. Podemos ir à
sessão da tarde?
Ana Está bem. Há uma sessão às três e meia.
Man 1 Ótimo. Onde nos encontramos?
Man 2 No café Santos, às três horas.
Man 1 Combinado.

BUYING A TRAIN TICKET

LI CD3, TR19

Customer Queria um bilhete para Caminha, para amanhã, às 8.15.

Clerk Primeira classe?
Customer Não, segunda. E não- fumadores por favor.
Clerk Lamento, mas não- fumadores já não há. Só há
fumadores.
Customer Está bem. Paciência! Quanto é – de ida e volta se faz
favor?
Clerk Bom, são quinze euros.
Customer Aqui tem vinte.
Clerk Então o seu troco.

50
Paulo Hello. What time does the game between Benfica and
Sporting start?
Clerk It starts at 6.30 in the evening.
Paulo When can I buy a ticket?
Clerk Tomorrow morning, from 9 o’clock.

Man 1 Well Ana, are we going to the theatre on Saturday?

Ana On Saturday I’m busy. Can’t it be on Sunday?
Man 2 Sunday, yes, but I don’t want to go at night. Can we go
to the afternoon session (matinee)?
Ana OK. There’s a session at 3.30.
Man 1 Brilliant! Where shall we meet?
Man 2 In Santos cafe, at 3 o’clock.
Man 1 Agreed.

Customer I’d like a ticket to Caminha, for tomorrow at 8.15.

Clerk First class?
Customer No, second. And non-smoking please.
Clerk Sorry, there are no more non-smoking left.
There are only smoking.
Customer OK. Patience! How much is it – return,
please?
Clerk Right, that’s 15 euros.
Customer Here you have 20.
Clerk And so (here’s) your change.

CD3: Buying a train ticket 51

 Cultural information

FORMS OF ADDRESS

The Portuguese are very formal in the way they address each other,
or call each other ‘you’. Strangers and people of higher social or
professional rank are referred to as ‘sir’ and ‘madam’ (o senhor/a
senhora). Colleagues and people of a similar age use first names,
accompanied by o and a (the male and female words for ‘the’), for
example o Miguel, a Maria. If you know someone very well you can call
them by the familiar tu. Brazilians tend to call most people você, and
many people in Portugal also use this with acquaintances.

LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK

Eating and drinking out is a national pastime in Portugal, and an

activity to be lingered over, not rushed. It is common to pay for your
drinks and snacks after you have finished them, and not when the waiter
brings them to your table, although this may be the case in some tourist
areas.

Portugal has a range of delicious, home-made bread (pão), most of

which you can obtain from the many little padarias, or bakers. The
most common types you will come across are bread rolls (pãozinho or
papo-seco), loaves (pão), corn bread (broa) and wonderful bread baked
with spicy sausage inside it (pão de chouriço). Sliced bread, or pão de
forma, is normally only used to make toasted sandwiches (tostas).

ACCOMMODATION

Portugal has a whole host of lovely places to stay, ranging from the
cheap and cheerful guest house (pensão), through hotels from one to
five stars (estrelas). If you feel like treating yourself, try to have a night
at one of the luxurious pousadas – quality hotels situated in some of
the country’s former castles, monasteries and manor houses. Or, stay
with a Portuguese family in their home, which is known as turismo de
habitação.

52
 TRAVEL

Travelling in Portugal and Brazil is cheap and easy; there are regular
buses and long-distance coaches, and Portugal has a reasonable
rail network, where trains run on time and are efficient, clean and
inexpensive. The railway network offers a range of discount tickets and
travel passes which are worth considering if you plan on travelling by
train during your stay in Portugal. In Brazil, the bus is called ônibus,
and the train is trem.

FADO

Fado is Portugal’s national music, somewhat akin to the Blues. It is

very soulful, and its origins have been debated for years: some say it
came with the Arab invasion, others say it was a lament borne of time
spent at sea by the daring navigators in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Its most famous exponent to date has been the great singer Amália
Rodrigues, although new, rising stars include the young female Fadista
Mariza.

ADDRESSES

On Portuguese addresses, and building plaques, you may come across

the abbreviations esq.°/esq.ª and dir.°/dir.ª, which are short for esquerdo/
esquerda (left) and direito/direita (right), and tell you which side of
the building an apartment or office is likely to be. Other common
abbreviations include: R. – rua (road/street), Pr. – praça (square), Av. –
avenida (avenue), and r/c – rés-do-chão (ground floor).

FALLING ILL

Most Portuguese people use the chemist’s as their first port of call if they
are ill. The pharmacist can usually diagnose and advise on all kinds of
minor ailments, and this avoids the need to visit the doctor, which many
people would have to pay to do.

Cultural information 53
 THE BARCELOS GALO

The Barcelos Galo, or cockerel, is the brightly-coloured little cockerel

you see everywhere, for example, on tea-towels, bottle-openers and cork
mats. Its legend originated in northern Portugal in the city of Barcelos,
where, it says, a man condemned to be hanged for theft, was saved by
the crowing of a cockerel – a mighty feat given that the bird was dead
and roasted and about to be eaten!

54
Listening skills: Survival phrases

please se faz favor/por favor

thank you obrigado (m), obrigada (f)
pardon? como?
excuse me (to interrupt)/sorry desculpe
excuse me (to get past) com licença
I don’t understand não compreendo
do you speak English? fala inglês?
I speak a bit of Portuguese falo um pouco de português
more slowly mais devagar
could you speak more slowly? podia falar mais devagar?
how do you say... in English/ como se diz ... em inglês/
Portuguese? português?
could you tell me? podia dizer-me?
could you repeat (that) please? podia repetir?
could you write it down? podia escrevê-lo?
could you show me? podia indicar/mostrar-me?
could you help me? podia ajudar-me?
where are the toilets? onde são os lavabos?
what is this? o que é isto?
can/may I see...? posso ver...?
can/may I taste it? posso provar?
can/may I try it on? posso experimentar?
which one/ones? qual/quais?
let’s see vamos ver
what a pity/shame! que pena!

Listening skills: Survival phrases 55

 Portuguese–English glossary

m = masculine; f = feminine

à noite at night bem-passado (m); bem-passada (f) well-done

a partir das X horas from X o’clock (meat, etc.)

a pé on foot bica, uma/a espresso coffee, a/the

a que horas...? at what time...? bife, um/o steak, a/the

acha que é grave? do you think it’s serious? bilhete, um/o ticket, a/the

açúcar, um/o sugar boa escolha good choice

agora now, now then boa noite good evening/night

água, uma/a water, a/the boa tarde good afternoon/evening

ajudar to help bom (m); boa (f) good

alguma coisa something bom dia good morning

ali there botão, um/o button

amanhã tomorrow branco (m); branca (f) white

ao lado de (do,da) next to, beside cabeça, uma/a head, a/the

aqui here café, um/o coffee (espresso)

aqui está here you are (here it is) calor, um/o heat

ar-condicionado, o air conditioning, the camisa, uma/a shirt, a/the

arroz, um/o rice carcaça, uma/a loaf, a/the

às... at... (time) carregar to press/push

aspirina, uma/a aspirin, a/the carro,um/o car

até logo see you later casado (m); casada (f) married

atravessa you cross castelo, um/o castle, a/the

autocarro, um/o bus, a/the cebolas, umas/as onions, some/the

avenida, uma/a avenue cem (cento) hundred

azeite, um/o olive oil centro, um/o centre

azul blue centro comercial, um/o shopping centre

banco, um/o bank, a/the cerâmica, a pottery, the

banho en-suite chamo-me I’m called

bastante quite chega arrives

batatas cozidas, umas/as boiled potatoes cidade, uma/a town/city

batatas fritas, umas/as chips, fried potatoes claro of course

bem well classe, uma/a class

coisa, uma/a thing

56
com with
com certeza of course
com gás fizzy
combinado right then, agreed
comboio, um/o train, a/the
começa it starts
começar to begin, start
como...? how...?
como está? how are you?
como se chama? what are you called?
como vem? how does it come?
comprar to buy
comprimidos, uns/os tablets, some/the
concerto, um/o concert
constipação, uma/a cold, a/the
continua you carry on/continue
da (f) of/from the
de of, from
de ida single (ticket)
de ida e volta return
de manhã in the morning
de nada don’t mention it
depois after, then
descansar to rest
desculpe excuse me, sorry
desculpe incomodar sorry to bother you
dez ten
dia, um/o day
difícil difficult
diga say/can I help you?
direita (à) right (on/to the)
divorciado (m); divorciada (f) divorced
dizer to say, tell
do (m) of/from the
dói-me it hurts me
doutora, a dr. (title, f)
e and
é is/are
e para beber? and to drink?
elevador, um/o lift, elevator
em frente ahead/in front
em que nome fica? in whose name (is it)?
então well then
entrada, uma/a entry/entrance, a/the
entre between
era it was/ it would be
escolheram you (pl.)/they have chosen
espetáculo, um/o show, a/the
esplanada, uma/a outside café terrace, a/the
esquerda (à) left (to/on the)
esquina, uma/a corner (street), a/the
está is/are
está? hello (on phone)
está bem OK
esta noite tonight
este (m); esta (f) this
estes (m); estas (f) these
estômago, um/o stomach, a/the
estou I am
estou a procurar I’m looking for
eu I
euros, uns/os euros, some/the
exatamente exactly
excelente excellent
excursões, umas/as trips/ excursions, some/the
Fado Portuguese Blues music
falta/m is/are lacking, missing
farinha, uma/a flour
farmácia, uma/a chemist’s, a/the
fatia, uma/a slice
faz favor please
fazer to do, make
fazer sol to be sunny
feijoada, uma/a bean stew, a/the
fiambre, o boiled ham, the
fica is located
Portuguese–English glossary 57
 fica longe? is it a long way?/is it far? linha, uma/a platform, a/the
filha, uma/a daughter Lisboa Lisbon
filho, um/o son litro, um/o litre, a/the
filhos,uns/os children, sons maçãs, umas/as apples, some/ the
fino (m); fina (f) thin mais alguma coisa? anything else?
folheto, um/o leaflet, a/the mais ou menos more or less
forte/s strong mais próximo (m); mais próxima (f) nearest
frio (m); fria (f) cold mal-passado (m); mal-passada (f) under-
fumadores smoking (section) cooked

funciona (não) it (doesn’t) work manga curta short-sleeved

galeria de arte, uma/a art gallery manteiga, uma/a butter

galo, um/o Portuguese cockerel symbol, a/the mapa, um/o map, a/the

garfo, um/o fork, a/the máquina, uma/a machina

garrafa, uma/a bottle, a/the marcar uma consulta to make an appointment

gasolina,uma/a petrol mas but

gostava s/he, I , you would like meio (m); meia (f) half

gramas, uns/os grams, some/the meio (quilo) half (kilo)

grátis free of charge melão, um/o melon, a/the

grau, um/o degree mesa, uma/a table, a/the

há there is/are meu, o( m) my

hoje today minha, a (f) my

horas, umas/as hours, (time), some/the minuto, um/o minute

igualmente likewise misto (m); mista (f) mixed

incluído (m); incluída (f) included moeda, uma/a coin

informações, umas/as information, some/the mora s/he lives, you live

introduzir to insert moro i live

ir to go motor, um/o engine

já already, now, yet mousse de chocolate, uma/a chocolate mousse

já não há there is/are no longer muito very

jantar, um/o dinner, a/the muito bem/bom very well/good

jogo, um/o game, match muito prazer pleased to meet you

lamento (I’m) sorry música clássica, uma/a classical music

laranja, uma/a orange, a/the música tradicional, a traditional music, the

legume, um/o vegetable na (f) in/on the

leite, um/o milk, a/the nacional national

lembrança típica, uma/a typical souvenir, a/the não no, not

limpo (m); limpa (f) clean não anda it does not go

linguado, um/o sole (fish) não-fumadores non-smoking

58
não me sinto nada bem I don’t feel at all well perdi I have lost; I lost
não seria melhor? wouldn’t it be better? perfeito (m); perfeita (f) perfect
nem nor perto near
no (m) in/on the pessoalmente personally
noite, uma/a night pneu, um/o tyre
nome, um/o name pode s/he, it, you can
norte, um/o north pode ser it can be, it’ll be…
novo (m); nova (f) new, young pode ser esta? will this one do?
número, um/o number, a/the podia...? could you...?
o que...? what...? pois well
o quê? what? por favor please
o que é que...? what is it that...? por noite per night
o que é que tem? what’s the matter? por pessoa per person
o que há? what is there? português (m); portuguesa (f) portuguese
o senhor, a senhora you (formal) possível possible
obrigado (m); obrigada (f) thank you posso I can, may
ocupado(m); ocupada(f) busy posso experimentar? can I try on?
oi hi (Brazilian) pouco (um) (a) little
olá hello/hi praça, uma/a square (town), a/the
óleo, um/o oil praça de taxis, uma/a taxi rank
olha! look! praia, uma/a beach
onde where preciso de ir I need to go
onde nos encontramos? where shall we meet? preço, um/o price, a/the
ou or prefere you prefer
outro (m); outra (f) (an)other prefers you (familiar) prefer
ótimo brilliant prefiro I prefer
ovo, um/o egg presunto, um/o smoked ham
paciência! patience! primeiro (m); primeira (f) first
pacote, um/o packet, pack problema, um/o problem, a/the
para for, to, towards promoção, uma/a offer, a/the
para mim for me pronto! there you are!/ ready!
para quantas noites? for how many nights? provavelmente probably
para quantas pessoas? for how many people? qual é? what is?
parte departs/leaves quando when
pasta, uma/a briefcase, file quanto? how much?
pastel de nata, um/o custard tart, a/the quanto custa? how much is it?
pequeno almoço, um/o breakfast, a/the quanto é? how much is it?
perdeu you, s/he lost quantos (m); quantas (f)? how many?
Portuguese–English glossary 59
 quarto, um/o room, a/the sobremesa, uma/a dessert
quarto de casal, um/o double room somos we are
quatro four sopa, uma/a soup
que what; that sou I am
que cor? what colour? sujo (m); suja (f) dirty
que deseja? what would you like? sumo, um/o juice, a/the
que mais? what else? também also, too
que número calça? what size (shoe) do you tchau bye, ciao
take? teatro, um/o theatre, a/the
que número veste? what size (clothes) do you tem you have
wear?
tem que you have to
queijo, um/o cheese, a/the
temos we have
quer s/he wants; you want, wish
temperatura, uma/a temperature
queria I would like
tempo, um/o weather
quero I want/wish
tenho I have
quilo, um/o kilo, a/the
terceiro (m); terceira (f) third
reservar to reserve
toalhas, umas/as towels, some/the
rio, um/o river, a/the
toma you take
rua, uma/a road, street, a/the
tomates, uns/os tomatoes, some/the
sabe you know
tomei I’ve taken
sal, um/o salt
tomou you’ve taken
salada, uma/a salad
tosta mista, uma/a cheese and ham toastie,
sandálias, umas/as sandals, some/the a/the
são X euros that’s X Euros trazer to bring
se if trocar to change
se faz favor please troco, um/o change, a/the
se for possível if it were possible tu you (informal)
segunda classe second class tudo everything
sei I know uns (m); umas (f) some
seis six vago (m); vaga (f) free, vacant
sem without vai (para) you go (to)
senhor sir vai s/he/ it goes, is going
senhora madam vamos ver let’s see
sessão, uma/a session, showing vamos we’re going/let’s go/let’s ...
seu, o (m); sua, a (f) your vão querer...? are you going to want...?
sim yes verde green
só only verificar to check
sobre about vezes, umas/as times, some/the

60
vinho do Porto, um/o Port wine, a/the
vinho tinto, um/o red wine, a/the
vira you turn
visitar to visit
visitas guiadas, umas/as guided tours,
some/the
você you (Brazilian informal)
vou I’m going
vou levar I’m going to take
xarope, um/o cough medicine, a/the
Portuguese–English glossary 61
 English–Portuguese glossary
m = masculine; f = feminine
about sobre
after, then depois
ahead em frente
air conditioning, the ar-condicionado, o
already, now, yet já
also, too também
and e
(an)other outro (m); outra (f)
anything else? mais alguma coisa?
apples, some/the maçãs, umas/as
are (you) é, está
are you going to want…? vão querer...?
arrives chega
art gallery, a/the galeria de arte, uma/a
aspirin, a/the aspirina, uma/a
at... (time) às...
at night à noite
avenue, a/the avenida, uma/a
bank, a/the banco, um/o
beach, a/the praia, uma/a
bean stew, a/the feijoada, uma/a
(to) begin, start começar
between entre
blue azul
boiled ham, the fiambre, o
boiled potatoes, some/the batatas cozidas,
umas/as
bottle, a/the garrafa, uma/a
breakfast, a/the pequeno almoço, um/o
briefcase, file, a/the pasta, uma/a
brilliant ótimo
62
(to) bring trazer
bus, a/the autocarro, um/o
busy ocupado (m); ocupada (f)
but mas
butter, the manteiga, uma/a
button, a/the botão, um/o
(to) buy comprar
bye tchau
s/he, it, you can pode
can I try on? posso experimentar?
car, a/the carro,um/o
(you) carry on continua
castle, a/the castelo, um/o
centre, a/the centro, um/o
change, a/the troco,um/o
(to) change trocar
cheese and ham toastie, a/the tosta mista,
uma/a
cheese, a/the queijo, um/o
(to) check verificar
chemist, a/the farmácia, uma/a
children, sons, some/the filhos,uns/os
chips, fried potatoes, some/the batatas fritas,
umas/as
chocolate mousse, a/the mousse de chocolate,
uma/a
class, a/the classe, uma/a
classical music, a/the música clássica, uma/a
clean limpo (m); limpa (f)
cockerel: Portuguese symbol, a/the Galo, um/o
coffee (espresso), a/the café, um/o
coin, a/the moeda, uma/a
cold (temperature) frio (m); fria (f)
cold, a/the constipação, uma/a
concert, a/the concerto, um/o
continue continua
corner (street), a/the esquina uma/a
cough medicine, a/the xarope, um/o
could you...? podia...?
(you) cross atravessa
custard tart, a/the pastel de nata, um/o
daughter, a/the filha, uma/a
day, a/the dia, um/o
degree, a/the grau, um/o
dessert, a/the sobremesa, uma/a
difficult difícil
departs/leaves parte
dinner, a/the jantar, um/o
dirty sujo (m); suja (f)
divorced divorciado (m); divorciada (f)
(to) do, make fazer
double room, a/the quarto de casal, um/o
dr. (title, f) doutora, a
(and to) drink? e para beber?
egg, the/a ovo, um/o
engine, the/a motor,um/o
en-suite com banho
entrance, a/the entrada, uma/a
entry, a/the entrada, uma/a
espresso coffee, a/the bica, uma/a
Euros, some/the euros, uns/os
everything tudo
exactly exatamente
excuse me desculpe
excellent excelente
(is it) far? fica longe?
first primeiro (m); primeira (f)
fizzy com gás
flour, the farinha, a
(on) foot a pé
for para
for how many nights? para quantas noites?
for how many people? para quantas pessoas?
for me para mim
fork, a/the garfo, um/o
four quatro
free (vacant) vago (m); vaga (f)
free of charge grátis
from de
from X o’clock a partir das X horas
(in) front em frente
game, match, a/the jogo, um/o
(to) go ir
(you) go (to) vai (para)
s/he/ it goes, is going vai
(I’m) going vou; I’m going to take vou levar
good bom (m); boa (f)
good afternoon boa tarde
good choice boa escolha
good evening boa tarde
good morning bom dia
good night boa noite
grams, some/the gramas, uns/os
green verde
guided tours, some/the visitas guiadas, umas/as
half meio (m); meia (f)
half (kilo) meio (quilo)
(I) have tenho; we have temos; you have tem;
you have to tem que
head, a/the cabeça, uma/a
heat, a/the calor, um/o
hello olá
hello (on phone) está?
(to) help ajudar
(can I) help you? diga?
here aqui; here you are aqui está
hi olá
hi (brazilian) oi
English–Portuguese glossary 63
 hours (time), some/the horas, umas/as lift, elevator, a/the elevador,um/o
how...? como...? (I would) like queria
how are you? como está? likewise igualmente
how does it come? como vem? Lisbon Lisboa
how many? quantos (m); quantas (f)? litre, a/the litro, um/o
how much? quanto? (a) little (um) pouco
how much is it? quanto é?/ quanto custa? s/he lives, you live mora
hundred cem/cento loaf, a/the carcaça, uma/a
(it) hurts me dói-me (is) located fica
I eu look! olha!
I am estou (I’m) looking for estou a procurar
I am sou you, s/he lost perdeu
I can, may posso machina, a/the máquina, uma/a
I have lost; I lost perdi madam/you a senhora
I know sei (to) make fazer
I live moro (to) make an appointment marcar uma
I want/wish quero consulta

if se map, a/the mapa, um/o

if it were possible se for possível married casado (m); casada (f)

in em melon, a/the melão, um/o

in the no (m); na (f) (don’t) mention it de nada

in the morning de manhã milk, a/the leite, um/o

in whose name (is it)? em que nome fica? minute, a/the minuto , um/o

included incluído (m); incluída (f) mixed misto (m); mista (f)

information, some/the informações, umas/as (is/are) missing falta/m

(to) insert introduzir more or less mais ou menos

is é, está my meu, o( m)

is it a long way/ far off? fica longe? my minha,a (f)

it can be, it’ll be.. pode ser name, a/the nome, um/o

it does not go não anda (my) name is/I’m called chamo-me

it starts começa national nacional

it was/ it would be era near perto

juice, a/the sumo, um/o nearest mais próximo (m); mais próxima (f)

kilo, a/the quilo, um/o (I) need to go preciso de ir

(you) know sabe new, young novo (m); nova (f)

leaflet, a/the folheto, um/o next to, beside ao lado de (do,da)

left (to/on the) esquerda (à) night, a/the noite, uma/a

let’s see vamos ver no, not não

64
non-smoking não-fumadores
nor nem
north, the norte, o
now, now then agora
number, a/the número, um/o
of de
of/from the da (f)
of/from the do (m)
of course com certeza, claro
offer em promoção
oil, an/the óleo,um/o
OK está bem
olive oil, an/the azeite, um/o
on em
on the no (m); na (f)
onions, some/the cebolas, umas/as
only só
or ou
orange, a/the laranja, uma/a
outside café terrace, a/the esplanada, uma/a
packet, pack, a/the pacote, um/o
patience! paciência!
per night por noite
per person por pessoa
perfect perfeito (m); perfeita (f)
personally pessoalmente
petrol, a/the gasolina,uma/a
platform, a/the linha, uma/a
please se faz favor, faz favor, por favor
pleased to meet you muito prazer
Port wine, a/the vinho do Porto, um/o
Portuguese português (m); portuguesa (f)
possible possível
pottery, the cerâmica, a
(I) prefer prefiro; you prefer prefere
you (familiar) prefer preferes
price, a/the preço, um/o
(to) press/push carregar
probably provavelmente
problem, a/the problema, um/o
quite bastante
red wine, a/the vinho tinto, um/o
(to) reserve reservar
(to) rest descansar
return de ida e volta
rice, a/the arroz, um/o
right (to/on the) direita (à)
right then, agreed combinado
river, a/the rio, um/o
road, street, a/the rua, uma/a
room, a/the quarto, um/o
salad, a/the salada, uma/a
salt, a/the sal, um/o
sandals, some/the sandálias, umas/as
(to) say dizer
say? diga?
second class segunda classe
see you later até logo
(do you think it’s) serious? acha que é grave?
session, showing, a/the sessão, uma/a
shirt, a/the camisa, uma/a
shopping centre, a/the centro comercial, um/o
short-sleeved de manga curta
show, a/the espetáculo, um/o
single (ticket) de ida
sir/you o senhor
six seis
(what) size (shoe) do you take? que número
calça?; what size (clothes) do you wear? que
número veste?
slice, a/the fatia, uma/a
smoked ham, a/the presunto,um/o
smoking (section) fumadores
sole (fish), a/the linguado, um/o
some uns (m); umas (f)
something alguma coisa
English–Portuguese glossary 65
 sometimes algumas vezes tomorrow amanhã
son, a/the filho, um/o tonight esta noite
(I’m) sorry lamento too também
sorry to bother you desculpe incomodar towards para
soup, a/the sopa, uma/a towels, some/the toalhas, umas/as
(typical) souvenir, a/the lembrança típica, town/city, a/the cidade, uma/a
uma/a traditional music, the música tradicional, a
square (town), a/the praça, uma/a train, a/the comboio, um/o
steak, a/the bife, um/o trips, some/the excursões, umas/as
stomach, a/the estômago, um/o (you) turn vira
strong forte/s tyre, a/the pneu,um/o
sugar, a/the açúcar, um/o under-cooked mal-passado (m); mal-passada (f)
(to be) sunny fazer sol vegetable, a/the legume, um/o
table, a/the mesa, uma/a very muito
tablets, some/the comprimidos, uns/os very well/good muito bem/bom
(I’ve) taken tomei; you take toma (to) visit visitar
taxi rank, a/the praça de taxis, uma/a s/he wants; you want, wish quer
temperature, a/the temperatura, uma/a water, a/the água, uma/a
(to) tell dizer we are somos
ten dez we can podemos
thank you obrigado (m); obrigada (f) we’re going/ let’s go/ let’s .. vamos
that’s X euros são X euros weather, a/the tempo ,um/o
theatre, a/the teatro, um/o well pois
there ali well (good) bem
there is/are há well-done (meat etc) bem-passado (m); bem-
there is/are no longer já não há passada (f)
there you are!/ ready! pronto! well then então
these estes (m); estas (f) (I don’t feel at all) well não me sinto nada bem
thin fino (m); fina (f) what...? o que...?
thing, a/the coisa, uma/a what? o quê?
third terceiro (m); terceira (f) what; that que
this este (m); esta (f) what are you called? como se chama?
ticket, a/the bilhete, um/o what colour? que cor?
(at what) time...? a que horas...? what else? que mais?
times, the vezes, as what is there? o que há?
to para what is? qual é?
today hoje what would you like? que deseja?
tomatoes, some/the tomates, uns/os what’s the matter? o que é que tem?

66
when quando s/he, i , you would like gostava
where onde wouldn’t it be better? não seria melhor?
where shall we meet? onde nos encontramos? yes sim
white branco (m); branca (f) you (formal) o senhor, a senhora
will this one do? pode ser esta? you (Brazilian/informal) você
with com you (informal) tu
without sem your seu, o (m); sua, a (f)
(it doesn’t) work (não) funciona

English–Portuguese glossary 67
 Essential vocabulary
200 duzentos(as)
NUMBERS
300 trezentos

0 zero 400 quatrocentos

1 um, uma 500 quinhentos

2 dois, duas 600 seiscentos

3 três 700 setecentos

4 quatro 800 oitocentos

5 cinco 900 novecentos

6 seis 1,000 mil

7 sete
8 oito DAYS OF THE WEEK –
9 nove OS DIAS DA SEMANA
10 dez
Monday (a) segunda-feira
11 onze
Tuesday (a) terça-feira
12 doze
Wednesday (a) quarta-feira
13 treze
Thursday (a) quinta-feira
14 catorze
Friday (a) sexta-feira
15 quinze
Saturday (o) sábado
16 dezasseis
Sunday (o) domingo
17 dezassete
18 dezoito
19 dezanove MONTHS OF THE YEAR –
20 vinte OS MESES DO ANO
21 vinte e um/uma
January janeiro
22 vinte e dois/duas
February fevereiro
30 trinta
March março
40 quarenta
April abril
50 cinquenta
May maio
60 sessenta
June junho
70 setenta
July julho
80 oitenta
August agosto
90 noventa
September setembro
100 cem, cento
October outubro
101 cento e um/uma
November novembro
110 cento e dez
December dezembro

68
 SEASONS OF THE YEAR – It’s a quarter past one É uma e um quarto
AS ESTAÇÕES DO ANO It’s half past six São seis e meia
It’s twenty to ten São dez menos vinte/
spring a primavera São vinte para as dez
summer o verão It’s a quarter to one É um quarto para a
uma/É a uma menos
autumn o outono
um quatro
winter o inverno
In the morning/ da manhã/da tarde
afternoon
SPECIAL HOLIDAYS – (early evening)

FÉRIAS/FERIADOS (BANK OR In the evening (night) da noite

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS) today hoje
tomorrow amanhã
New Year’s Eve A Passagem do Ano tomorrow morning amanhã de manhã
New Year O Ano Novo yesterday ontem
Carnival O Carnaval
Lent A Quaresma
AT WHAT TIME…?
Easter A Páscoa A QUE HORAS…?
Christmas O Natal
At what time does the boat depart/arrive?
A que horas parte/chega o barco?
DATES
At what time does the bank open/close?
A que horas abre/fecha o banco?
What date is it today? Que data é hoje?
The train leaves at 22.40
It’s the twenty-third É o dia vinte e três
O comboio parte às vinte e duas e quarenta
It’s the fifteenth of É o quinze de
At what time does the film start/finish?
September setembro
A que horas começa/termina o filme?
at mid-day/at mid-night
TIME OF DAY ao meio-dia/à meia-noite
at one o’clock à uma hora
What time is it? Que horas são? at four (o’clock) às quatro (horas)
Do you have the time? Tem as horas? at 3.30 às três e meia
It’s one o’clock É a uma (hora) at 7.40 às oito menos vinte
It’s midday É meio-dia from… until… de (da/das)... até…
It’s midnight É meia-noite from… a partir de…
It’s two p.m. São duas (horas) da
tarde
It’s ten past four São quatro e dez

Essential vocabulary 69
 THE POINTS OF THE COLOURS
COMPASS
black preto/preta
north o norte blue azul/azul
south o sul brown castanho/castanha
east o leste green verde/verde
west o oeste grey cinzento/cinzenta
northeast o nordeste orange laranja/laranja
southeast o sudeste pink rosa/rosa
northwest o noroeste purple roxo/roxa
southwest o sudoeste red encarnado/encarnada and
vermelho/vermelha
white branco/branca
yellow amarelo/amarela

70
Subject index

Numbers refer to the conversations in CDs 1 and 2 that include the

material. References to conversations in CD3 take the form 3/2 for
CD3, Conversation 2.

accommodation 4 mais 3
addresses 8 machines 3/2
articles 2
negative verbs 9
Barcelos cockerel 10 no/na 8
basic verbs 1 nouns 2
body 9 numbers 0–25 3
bread 3 numbers 30–100 4
buying groceries 3/5 ordinal numbers 8

chemist’s 9 para 2
colloquial expressions 5 payment 7
colours 10 personal info 3/3
plurals 7
days of the week 7
podia 5
directions 8, 3/1
posso 10
doctors’ appointments 3/7
preciso de 9
entertainment 7, 3/1, 3/9
qual é…? 6
estar + adjectives 5
quantities 3
falta 5 quanto? 2
food and drink 2, 3/4, 3/7
rooms 4, 3/5
forms of address 1
tem 4
garage 3/8
this/that 10
greetings 1, 3/3
tickets 6, 3/10
groceries 3/5, 3/6
time 6
há 7 transport 6, 3/10
…hurts 9
weather 3/2
lost property 3/8

Subject index 71
“Global scale” of the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages: learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR)
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can
CEFR LEVEL C2 summarise information from different spoken and written sources,
reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation.
Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely,
TY Level 6

differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Proficient User:

Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise

implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously
CEFR LEVEL C1

without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language

flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
TY Level 5

Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects,

showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and
cohesive devices.

Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete

and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of
CEFR LEVEL B2

specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that

makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without
TY Level 4

strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of
Independent User

(A Level)

subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages

and disadvantages of various options.

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar

matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal
CEFR LEVEL B1

with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the
(Higher GCSE)

language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics which

TY Level 3

are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events,

dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations
for opinions and plans.

Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to

(Foundation GCSE)

areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family
CEFR LEVEL A2:

information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate

in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
TY Level 2

information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms

aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in
Basic User

areas of immediate need.

Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic
phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can
CEFR LEVEL A1

introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions
about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows
TY Level 1

and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other
person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

© Council of Europe. www.coe.int/lang.

Extract reproduced with the permission of the Council of Europe, Strasbourg