Hello there.

I am off to Portugal next week and need to learn a few polite words! Can anyone point me to a website that offers translation and pronunciation?

So far, I have found the following. Please tell me if they are correct and if you can tell me how they are pronounced, I'd be grateful.

thank you: obrigado

good morning: bom dia.

good afternoon: boa tarde

good night. : boa noite

good-bye: adeus

hello: alô

Also, I can’t find THE most important word: PLEASE ; can anyone help

Many thanks for your assistance

Regards Ger

I DO NOT KNOW PORTUGUESE, but here's what I found for "please":

faça favor; por favor; agradar; aprazer

See travlang.com for starters...

Best wishes,

Rex

Thanks cmt!

Rex: this is EXACTLY what I am looking for! Many thanks.

Regards Ger

You're welcome.

Hi,
I´m Brazilian and speak portuguese.
Please = por favor. I think in Portugal they say faz favor.
If you speak spanish, it will be easier for you.
Babylon (www.babylon.com)is an online dictionary english-portuguese.
If you need more help, pls email me.

Ger, I'm passing along some info from a mutual friend of ours who studied Portuguese but isn't registered on Fodors: Since you're female, your "thank you" should be "obrigada" rather than "obrigado." (The
I am" is implied.)

My ex-husband, Rogerio, was born in Lisboa. In Portuguese, the letter "r" is pronounced as "h." For example, the name Robin is pronounced "Hoban." The letter "j" is pronouced as such, not like "h" as in Spanish. An "s" at the end of a word is pronounced as "sh." You can say, "ciao," for good-bye. "Bom dia" is pronounced "bon dia." If you say, "hola" for hello, no one will bat an eyelash. Please is "por favor" as mentioned. My husband never pronounced the "o" in "obrigado." It was always "brigado."
Have a good time in Lisboa.

For holiday phrases with pronounciation:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other...rtuguese.shtml

For an online introduction course with videos:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/portuguese/talk/

They exist in lots of languages!

Nearly everyone speaks some English.
M

Thanks all:

THAT'S good to know cmt

Thanks Thingorjus - yes I noticed that the "a" appears silent. Actually, I am not going to Lisbon, I am picking up a car at the airport on Friday and heading off to the Alentejo region for the weekend, staying in Evora. (Click on my name for more info).

Thanks Stardust, I will check that out.

Mikemo - I sincerely hope that I won't have to rely on my thin grasp of Portugese I always like to have just a couple of words, to be polite.

regards Ger

If you are American you will have to learn to pronounce the short letter 'o' the way the British do, and not as 'a'.

My little Portuguese dictionary gives these pronunciations:

ch -> 'sh'
j and ge and gi -> 'ge' as in rouge
lh -> 'li' in million
nh -> 'ni' in bunion
qu -> 'coo' in front of 'a' or 'o': quando, quota = kwando, kwota
qu -> 'k' in front of 'i' or 'e'
x -> 's', 'z', 'sh' or 'x'.

I'm sure you will quickly memorise all that. Have a nice trip!

Harzer

I hope I haven't missed you to wish you a Bon Voyage!!!

Don't worry, almost every one in Portugal speaks english... People here are very friendly and always try to help you!
Please: "Por favor".