Booking that trip to Brazil was nerve-wracking enough. This marks the moment that Portuguese travel vocabulary graduates to your best friend.
When you are stranded in a Brazilian bus terminal, hunting for legendary Brazilian steaks or negotiating a good seat on the airplane to Brazil, you need to be equipped.
Split into six sections our guide to Portuguese travel vocabulary is your armour to get the most out of your Brazilian adventure.
Getting on and off an Airplane in Portuguese
| Passaporte | passport |
| cartão de embarque | boarding pass |
| assento do corredor | aisle seat |
| assento da janela | window seat |
| O que você gostaria de beber/ comer? | what would you like to drink/ eat? |
| fones de ouvido | headphones |
| cinto de segurança | seat belt |
| afivele seu cinto de segurança | fasten your seat belt |
| turbulência | turbulence |
| embarque | boarding |
| mala | suitcase |
| mala de mão (how to pronounce the ~ in Portuguese) | cabin bag/ hand-luggage |
| mala despachada | check-in bag |
| visto | visa |
| controle de imigração/fronteira | immigration/ border control |
| passagem | ticket |
| partidas | departures |
| chegadas | arrivals |
| decolar / decolando | to take-off/ taking-off |
| pousar/ pousando | to land / landing |
Brush up on the Portuguese you need to Get Through Brazilian Border Control.
Hotel Portuguese Travel Vocabulary
| café de manhã | breakfast |
| quarto (individual, duplo) | room (single, double) |
| cama | bed |
| (primeiro, segundo, terceiro, quarto, quinto, sexto, sétima, oitava, nono, décimo) andar | floor (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th) |
| posso deixar a minha baggagem? | can I leave my luggage? |
| frigobar | mini-bar |
| recepção | reception |
| piscina | swimming pool |
| restaurante | restaurant |
| informação | information |
| hostel (don’t pronounce the ‘H’) | hostel |
| hotel (don’t pronounce the ‘H’) | hotel |
| chave do quarto | room key |
| check-out | check-out |
| à que horas é check-out? | what time is check-out? |
| depósito de segurança | security deposit |
Getting Around the City in Portuguese | Travel Vocabulary
| uma mapa | map |
| guia | guidebook |
| guia turístico | tour guide |
| informação | information |
| cambiar moeda / trocar o dinheiro | exchange money |
| um ponto turístico | landmark |
| estação de onibûs, parada de onibûs | bus station, bus stop |
| estação de trem, parada de trem | train station, train stop |
| estação de metro, parada de metro | metro station, metro stop |
| bairro | neighbourhood |
| presta atençao na sua mochila | backpack (watch your backpack) |
| taxi | taxi |
| taxímetro | taxi meter |
| chamar um Uber OR chamar no aplicativo | call an Uber |
Buying Things in Portuguese
| quanto isso custa? | how much does this cost? |
| precisa de uma sacola? | do you need a bag? (in Brazil you pay for plastic bags in supermarkets now) |
| crédito ou débito? | credit or debit card? (the card machine will ask you to select, since in Brazil they only have one card that functions as both a credit and debit card.) |
| você tem isso em um outro tamanho? | do you have this in another size? |
| provadores | dressing room |
| loja | store/ shop |
| supermercado | supermarket |
| feira | open air market / farmers market |
| farmacia | pharmacy |
Looking for Souvenirs to Buy in Brazil? This guide includes the only things you need.
Navigating Restaurants in Portuguese Travel Vocabulary
| a conta | bill |
| posso ter a conta, por favor | can I have the bill, please |
| o menu | the menu |
| uma mesa por um, duas, três, quatro | a table (for 1, 2, 3, 4) |
| entrada(s) | starter(s) |
| prato(s) principal (principais) | main course(s) |
| sobremesa | dessert |
| menu de bebidas / carta de vinho | drinks menu / wine menu |
Learn your way around a Brazilian restaurant with our Guide on Decrypting the Brazilian Menu.
The Rest of Your Brazilian Travel Vocabulary
| jet lag (emphasize the ‘t’ and ‘g’) | jet-lag |
| fuso horário | timezone |
| taxa de entrada | entrance fee |
| saída | exit |
| um bilhete (passagem for air ticket) | a ticket |
| preço | price |
Finally, if you find that our list leaves you stranded in a tight spot, download the linguee.com app to your phone to translate in any additional miscellaneous situations. Brazil’s a wild and spontaneous adventure!
