Portuguese survival kit

About this kit

European Portuguese is spoken in Portugal and across several Lusophone countries. From Lisbon to Porto, from Madeira to the Azores: with this kit, you have the bare minimum to get by in Portugal and to recognize the European variant, distinct from Brazilian Portuguese.

Portuguese is the official language of nine countries across four continents: Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor and Macau. The European variant, spoken in Portugal and several Lusophone African countries, differs noticeably from Brazilian Portuguese in pronunciation and some vocabulary. A French speaker arriving in Lisbon or Porto encounters a language whose spelling resembles Spanish but whose rhythm is firmer: unstressed vowels fade, final consonants hiss, the word-final "s" becomes a soft "sh". This is the famous impression that Portuguese people "swallow vowels". In terms of vocabulary, a few words differ from Brazilian: "comboio" for train (instead of "trem"), "casa de banho" for toilet (instead of "banheiro"), "ementa" for menu (instead of "cardapio"). Portuguese culture is recognizable through its standing-counter coffee, its small family restaurants where the "couvert" is paid for what you eat, Lisbon's fado, the blue azulejo on facades, and that untranslatable word saudade. This kit gathers the bare essentials to handle an airport arrival, a taxi ride, a restaurant order, a medical emergency and a smooth departure. You will find indispensable greetings, survival phrases for orientation, key words for eating and sleeping, as well as cultural tips to avoid faux pas. Memorize these expressions before leaving and you will gain confidence from the very first hours on site.