First Phrases

Festival crowd phrases · Português

Festival crowd phrases in Portuguese: 18 survival phrases

Get through a packed street, find a good spot, ask when the parade or procession starts, find a toilet, first aid or the meeting point, ask for a photo and chat with neighbours in the crowd. For carnival in February, Fallas (1-19 March) and Semana Santa (21-28 March 2027).

Phrases, not advice. These cards only help you say what you need. They give no medical, legal, tax or financial advice. For any decision, ask the pharmacist, doctor, bank or the official office.

Register: Neutral. For big street festivals in Portugal: Carnaval (February; famous in Torres Vedras, Loulé and Ovar), and Easter processions ("procissões" in Holy Week, 21–28 March 2027, for example in Braga). During a procession people stay quiet and still: do not chat loudly or push through. At Carnaval people are cheerful and chatty. Use "o senhor/a senhora" with older people and officials; with other spectators your age a friendly neutral tone is fine.

How to read the sounds: European Portuguese swallows unstressed vowels, so syllables sound shorter than they look. (n) = nasal vowel, don't sound the n. sh = the 'sh' of 'ship' for final s and x. Stress is in CAPITALS.

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18 phrases you will need

  1. 01Neutral
    Com licença, posso passar?
    Say it like: kom lee-SEN-sah, POH-soo pah-SAR
    Excuse me, can I get through?
    Register: Polite and neutral. "Com licença" is the standard way to move past someone.
  2. 02Neutral
    Desculpe, não foi por mal.
    Say it like: desh-KOOL-peh, nowng foy poor mal
    Sorry, I didn't mean to.
    Register: Natural after bumping into someone.
  3. 03Neutral
    Onde é que se vê melhor?
    Say it like: ON-deh eh keh seh veh meh-LYOR
    Where is the best place to watch?
    Register: Natural spoken form.
  4. 04Neutral
    A que horas começa o desfile?
    Say it like: ah keh OH-rash koo-MEH-sah oo desh-FEE-leh
    What time does the parade start?
    Register: For a Holy Week procession say "a procissão". People keep quiet during it, so ask before it starts or in a low voice.
  5. 05Neutral
    Esta rua está cortada?
    Say it like: ESH-tah RROO-ah esh-TAH koor-TAH-dah
    Is this street closed?
    Register: "Cortada" = closed to traffic.
  6. 06Neutral
    Há alguma estação de metro aberta aqui perto?
    Say it like: ah al-GOO-mah ish-tah-SOWNG deh MEH-troo ah-BER-tah ah-KEE PER-too
    Is there a metro station open near here?
    Register: Only Lisbon, Porto and a few cities have a metro; elsewhere ask about the bus or train.
  7. 07Neutral
    Perdi-me dos meus amigos. Onde é o ponto de encontro?
    Say it like: per-DEE-meh doosh MEH-oosh ah-MEE-goosh. ON-deh eh oo PON-too deh eng-KON-troo
    I've lost my friends. Where is the meeting point?
    Register: Agree a meeting point with your group before you go.
  8. 08Neutral
    Há uma casa de banho aqui perto?
    Say it like: ah OO-mah KAH-zah deh BAH-nyoo ah-KEE PER-too
    Is there a toilet nearby?
    Register: In Portugal it is "casa de banho", not "banheiro".
  9. 09Neutral
    Posso ficar aqui?
    Say it like: POH-soo fee-KAR ah-KEE
    Can I stand here?
    Register: More polite: "Importa-se que fique aqui?"
  10. 10Neutral
    Quanto tempo dura?
    Say it like: KWAN-too TEM-poo DOO-rah
    How long does it last?
    Register: Works for a parade, a procession or a show.
  11. 11Neutral
    Faz muito barulho? Sou sensível ao barulho.
    Say it like: fash MWEEN-too bah-ROO-lyoo? soh sen-SEE-vel ow bah-ROO-lyoo
    Is it loud? I'm sensitive to noise.
    Register: Handy before fireworks or drums. You can also watch from further back.
  12. 12Neutral
    Onde fica o posto de primeiros socorros?
    Say it like: ON-deh FEE-kah oo POSH-too deh pree-MAY-roosh soo-KOH-roosh
    Where is first aid?
    Register: If you cannot see a sign, ask a steward or a police officer.
  13. 13Polite
    Pode tirar-nos uma fotografia, por favor?
    Say it like: POH-deh tee-RAR-noosh OO-mah foo-too-grah-FEE-ah, poor fah-VOR
    Could you take a photo of us, please?
    Register: "Foto" is also fine, and shorter.
  14. 14Neutral
    Isto é fantástico!
    Say it like: EESH-too eh fan-TASH-tee-koo
    This is amazing!
    Register: Casual: "Isto é incrível!"
  15. 15Neutral
    É daqui?
    Say it like: eh dah-KEE
    Are you from here?
    Register: A friendly opener with a neighbour in the crowd.
  16. 16Neutral
    Há sempre tanta gente?
    Say it like: ah SEM-preh TAN-tah ZHEN-teh
    Is it always this busy?
    Register: Good small talk while you wait.
  17. 17Neutral
    Vêm cá todos os anos?
    Say it like: vayng kah TOH-doosh oosh AH-noosh
    Do you come here every year?
    Register: "Vêm" is the plural "you" (more than one person); to one person "Vem cá todos os anos?"
  18. 18Neutral
    Divirtam-se!
    Say it like: dee-VEER-tam-seh
    Enjoy yourselves!
    Register: To a group as you part; to one person "Divirta-se!"

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Quick answers

What do I say to start at a big street festival in Portuguese?

Start with: "Com licença, posso passar?" (Excuse me, can I get through?)

Should I use informal or formal Portuguese at a big street festival?

For big street festivals in Portugal: Carnaval (February; famous in Torres Vedras, Loulé and Ovar), and Easter processions ("procissões" in Holy Week, 21–28 March 2027, for example in Braga). During a procession people stay quiet and still: do not chat loudly or push through. At Carnaval people are cheerful and chatty. Use "o senhor/a senhora" with older people and officials; with other spectators your age a friendly neutral tone is fine.

How do I ask where the best place to watch is in Portuguese?

Try: "Onde é que se vê melhor?" (Where is the best place to watch?)

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All 9 × 6 survival decks · Phrases for an evening out

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