In the next set of liçõeslessons , we’ll introduce phrases that will help you have a basic conversation in Portuguese.
Many beginners are afraid to initiate a conversaconversation because they don’t know whether they’ll understand or be understood. Well, we wouldn’t recommend discussing politics right away 😳, but with some preparation, you can at least get further than Boa tardeGood afternoon !
It’s important to learn how to deal with conversation breakdowns early on. That way, even if you’re struggling, you don’t have to immediately give up. Staying in the conversation a bit longer gives you more opportunities to aprenderlearn through real-life interactions.
You may not understand all the grammar/vocabulary in this unit just yet. So for now, the goal is memorization and familiarization. Think of these phrases as “back-up” to help you out of tricky situations. 😉
For example, in the following lessons we’ll cover:
- How to tell someone you speak só um pouco dejust a little(of) Portuguese
- How to ask if someone speaks inglêsEnglish (for those times when you really need to say something that is too far above your level!)
- Huh?? What to say if you didn’t understand, including how to ask someone to say it outra vezagain, another time or speak more devagarslowly
- How to check if the listener is able to entenderunderstand / perceberunderstand
- A few short, simple comments to keep the conversation flowing, like está bemall right, okay
- How to say if you agree or disagree
- A few useful perguntasquestions
- More ways to say thanks or show appreciation
If you combine this with what you’ve learned in the Greetings and Introduce Yourself units, you should be well on your way to feeling confident in your next basic conversation in Portuguese. Boa sorteGood luck 🍀
Comments
I absolutely love that the program is never “finished” and new units/pages are still being added, I appreciate all of the effort! Muito obrigado pela ajuda!
This is an unbelievably brilliant language study programme. I’d done the first few modules and then left it a few months (through laziness, mainly) and was sure I’d have to start from scratch when I took it up again. Not so. There had been so much consolidation in the early modules that, even if I didn’t understand everything in the later modules, I had the right tools to work it out and found I didn’t have to go back to the beginning and start again. I had 18 months of very expensive Portuguese lessons at a university 10 years ago and have learnt far more using this app than I ever did in the face to face classes. I was also convinced Portuguese was an impossible language that I would never be able to learn but this app has made it seem possible – even easy – so thank you for showing me a better way. I would recommend this app to anyone.
Thank you so much for this amazing feedback! It really means a lot to us that we could make a difference for you. 😊
Hello,
Can you explain to me when to use the e or a in desculpe? Is there any reason between these two?
They mean the same, but desculpe is more formal and desculpa is more informal. So you would use the one with “e” if it’s someone you don’t know well or if you want to show more respect. 🙂
Good day team.
Martin and I signed up about 3 weeks ago and we are so impressed and delighted with this site. We are both really enjoying our journey. Both of us have knowledge of French and Italian so it makes things easier to follow and learn. Nonetheless we find the pronounciations of some words challenging but we entertain each other practicing them. Many thanks for a really great site.
Vivienne and Martin
Thank you so much! So glad to hear you’re enjoying it and working through the challenging parts! 😁
Hi I just wanted to say I tried a few courses and then i found yours, it’s fabulous and I’m loving it. Parents live in Portugal and I visit often and it is really helping me learn Portuguese ❤️👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks so much! 😊
What a brilliant way to learn a different language. I still don’t feel ready to have conversations in Portuguese so I think I’ll revisit the lessons. The lessons are really fun, yes fun! I really enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your comment! Hope you keep having fun with us… and learning at the same time!
obrigada
Whenever I need to approach someone with a question, like where something is located, etc., I start with “Olá, boã tarde. Tenho uma pergunta por favor.” That way the listener can hear my accent right off the bat and also know that I need information.
I jotted that sentence (Olà, boã tarde. Tenho uma pergunta por favor) down in my note book, underlined it and took a yellow highlighter pen to it. Great tip!
I jotted it down too. However I’d keep in mind time of day. If it’s before noonish, I’d start with Bom Dia. Then boa noite after 7ish in evening. Have fun learning with Practice Portuguese!
Very good idea. I’ll use that in the future. Thanks
Thank you!
Thanks for the excellent program and on-line tools for learning Portuguese – great opportunity and value!
Amazing!!! I have started and really enjoying the journey. Really helpful.
Great so far!
More of the same from previous comments, but this is an unbelievably well put together course. The ordering of units, pace and content is excellent. I have always struggled for motivation to learn new languages but this app makes it so easy to come back for more.
Keep up the great work!
I love this program! it is like a game! The lady with the blue jacket adds “EM’ to the end of the words. I hear “JantarEM’ and that EM sound at the end of the words. I guess I need more practice to discern the sounds
Don’t worry, a lot of people have the same confusion! Myself included, I had to check with the native speakers on our team to figure this out.
This is an example of a common pronunciation variation with words ending in -R, which is articulating the R to the point where it sounds like there is a ghost ‘E’ at the end (like ‘jantare’ or ‘falare’). There is a regional component to this (rural inner Portugal is where this variation is probably most heard), although not a clearly defined one.
It’s different from how an -M at the end of a word would sound in Portuguese, but I think because she closes her mouth at the end, English speakers might interpret it like an English M.
Keep in mind that in Portuguese, when there’s an M at the end of a word, it just sounds like a nasal vowel. It wouldn’t sound like the M that is produced when you press your lips together. I hope this helps solve the mystery! Glad to hear you’re enjoying the program. 😊
I think it’s really helpful to hear how different people speak, as it reflects real life much better than just hearing the “teacher” pronounce words.
Thank you for this amazing project!
This has been amazing so far
Thank you
thank you. IU am enjoying so far.
Going to Portugal in a few days for 2 weeks…I guess I should have started the lessons sooner…lol. I’ll have a little under my belt before getting there, just not enough for a heated cafe conversation. Thanks.
Olá
I agree wholeheartedly with the many comments praising the lessons and rating the app as the best for learning European Portuguese. One of my favorite features is the microphone to check your pronunciation, very good feedback as it is often challenging early on to get certain sounds correctly. I also enjoy the option of Slow Audio to help distinguish similar or hard to pronounce sounds. And finally the variety of speakers in the videos is very helpful in developing an ear for Portuguese. It all makes it easier to carry on through the difficulties of learning a new language.
Muito obrigada por PracticePortuguese!!
Karen
p.s. One more thing…5/5 stars for your excellent customer service.
Boa sorte!
Boa tarde
Thanks for that explanation. I was wondering myself why she sounded different
Absolutely loving this course!
Muito obrigado
Hi, first want to point it’s really an amazing course and not even comparable to the likes of Duolingo of Babbel, very much worth the money! Just want to add that in a lot of cases the native people (as far as I saw) say ‘tá’ and not so much ‘está’, which was very confusing for me in the beginning, so might be good to mention if not already.
Thank you for such a comprehensive study tool.
Good
boa
I like it. Easy way to learn.
Keep on
Super learning. Way better than duolingo or…. what I used for 2-3 years. The way how the lessons and items are presented are much more embedded in the daily use, practise listening, speaking, writing and understanding. Great, I’m glad I found the program last week.
Greetz Frans
Hi, I would like to ask in which context can phrase “diga?” may be used. Is it formal or informal? Can it be used with people I meet the first time in some institutions like tax office, shop, hospital etc. Or it can only be used with friends?
“Diga?” is kind of a formal “Come again?” or simply “What?” or “What was that?” when you couldn’t hear/understand something the first time. It’s the Imperative of the verb DIZER (to tell, to say), for the singular formal YOU.
The informal would be “Diz?”.
You may hear very formal older people say “Como diz?” (literally “How do you (sing. form.) say?”). In “Como diz” is implied “o senhor” or “a senhora”: Como diz (o senhor)?/Como diz (a senhora)?, this being the overly formal version. It gives you an extra sense of politeness.
In short, nowadays, it’s more common to formally just say “Diga?” and informally “Diz?”.
Although “Diga?” is formal (and implying politeness), it may be said in a rude and sloppy way.
In addition to verbal language, there’s always the universal body language!
Good
There is nothing I can find to click on here to take me to the next lesson(?)
Me ajuda, por favor
Sorry about that! Here’s a link to the next lesson: https://www.practiceportuguese.com/lessons/basic-conversation-lesson-1/
If you arrived at this Learning Note from within a Unit, there should be a button to “Mark as Complete” and then the button to go to the next lesson should appear. If that’s missing, make sure you’re logged in. If it’s still missing, or anytime you get lost, you can always return to the main units page to find your place. The Units page is found under Learn > Units, or you can tap the book icon in the app.
Great lessons! Easy to navigate!
Great lesson structure. Much better than other online language apps.
uma pergunta: um pouco ou um pouco de ? I am confused when to use ‘de’.
eu falo um pouco de português
eu só falo português
when you ask ‘a little’, the answer is um pouco but in de sentence we have to put ‘um pouco de’
Olá! If you just want to say “a little bit”, you use “um pouco”. If you want to say “a little bit of [X]”, you need to use “um pouco de [X]”. So, basically, the preposition ‘de’ is only added as a connecting element when you need to include a complement, just like in English.
Thank you. That make sense.
I find it very difficult to understand the lady in blue, who is one of the regular ‘Portuguese people’. What ever she says seems different to the actual words that are being said by the narrator of this course. She seems to add something to the end of the word. Is this a regional Portuguese accent?
Olá! The videos recorded by that native speaker demonstrate a common pronunciation variation with words ending in -R, which is articulating the R to the point where it sounds like there is a ghost ‘E’ at the end (like ‘jantare’ or ‘estare’). There is a regional variation to this (where rural inner Portugal is where this variation is probably most heard), although not a clearly defined one.
All video examples are meant to demonstrate ‘real-world’ Portuguese in all its colours, which makes them inherently challenging. Whenever you’re in doubt, you can rely on the audio examples to confirm what is being said. Also, feel free to keep checking with us whenever something sounds particularly off 🙂
BRILLIANT!!!
Hello,
By the way, sometimes on these explainer pages there is no way to “mark as complete”. So you can’t proceed to the next lesson. In this case you need to force quit the app and restart and usually it will show.
I learned a lot from this lesson to continue conversations after boa tarde
Tha is a lot for this help.
I read the comments above and replies. The woman in the blue jacket that adds a syllable to sound verbs in the infinitive… which region of Portugal is she from? (asking for something more than “inner”)
Thanks.
Ps. I’ve been studying Portuguese on and off for many years (I joke that it’s a hobby). I’m sorry that I held off on this program/application. Looking forward to going deeper, and finally getting to the next level.
Olá! Unfortunately, we don’t have this information and this pronunciation pattern is also not restricted to a certain region.
Looking forward to having you practising Portuguese with us 🙂
Good lession
Boa liçoes
So excited to keep learning
Muito fácil para aprender.
Obrigada.
Muito obrigado
Muito obrigado
Very good program, muito brigade
Muito obrigado
Doing my daily Practice Portuguese, arriving at this unit after completing all the previous ones, and I just wanna drop a comment here saying I’ve been loving it so far!!
I love that you guys included recordings of native Portuguese speakers to expose us learners to different pronunciation variations right from the start. This is so important as I’ve read that Portugal, despite being a relatively small country in land size, has soooo many regional accents!
Thanks a lot for this feedback, much appreciated! We do see a lot of added value in showcasing speakers with different accents and speech patterns 🙂
I love how the native speaker pronounces the word first in a video, accompanied by some background noise. Another option is provided for the word/phrase to be spoken at a normal speed, and then there is an option to slow it down for new introductions. Additionally, you can type out a phrase and listen to it carefully while typing, hoping to get it correct.
Thanks for your comment! We want to help people develop their listening comprehension progressively, while still giving them a taste (and the challenge) of how the language may truly sound in the real world 🙂
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to Practice Portuguese for creating such a wonderful course. Every lesson motivates me and helps me feel more confident in my Portuguese. I’m truly enjoying the learning process and I can see real progress every day. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and for making European Portuguese so accessible and enjoyable.”
I will be traving to Lisbon this year and am quickly getting immersed in Português with this app. My online tutor was amazed at how much i progressed with only a few weeks using the app. I can actaully have a short conversation! Muito obrigado!
Obrigado nós, for your words and for your support! 😃 We’re happy to know you’ve made a lot of progress towards fluency using our platform. If you ever need any help, feel free to contact us.