Handy Link

[pete-flint]

Some pointers fro trainee speakers of the local language :- http://www.golisbon.com/food/dictionary/

[TomUK]

Interesting stuff Pete. I have a couple of phrase books which also give similar words and phrases. They are a great help, but after a few visits to the Algarve I soon found out that some items have alternatives that are more commonly used.

Take beer as an example. I have not heard the term 'uma cerveja' used that often, because the next inevitable question will be pequeno? or grande?. Of course in the tourist spots a 'small or large beer' usually suffices, but I learnt early on that 'uma caneca' gets you a pint and if you change 'caneca' to 'imperial' you get a half pint. The Portuguese in the bars I use almost always ask for 'uma caneca' when ordering a beer, I can't remember them saying 'cerveja'.

'A conta por favor' and a wave of your wallet saves having to prefix it with 'could I have?' (queira trazer).

As I've said previously, when I can take my time I do reasonably well. The problem is if you open a conversation in Portuguese with a Portuguese person they sometimes assume you are fluent and come back at you with rapid fire Portuguese. That's when the blank look kicks in!

[joeysoap]

The problem is if you open a conversation in Portuguese with a Portuguese person they sometimes assume you are fluent and come back at you with rapid fire Portuguese. That's when the blank look kicks in!

last time I arrived at the passport control in Faro airport and said 'Boa Tarde' to the official and he did exactly as TomUK posts, he fired back in rapid fire Portuguese to me. To be fair he wasn't taking the piss because when I laughed and said that was nearly the only Portuguese I had he just laughed too. learned something tonight, because I while I knew to ask for an imperial (lunch time) I didn't know the expression for a pint. just have to get some practice in now before next week

[EMM]

Our neighbours soon corrected me that we should use " Faz favour " and not " Por favour " ( that is for Spaniards ).

[TomUK]

Our neighbours soon corrected me that we should use " Faz favour " and not " Por favour " ( that is for Spaniards ).

A bit strange this one, because my phrase books give 'por favor' (not favour) for 'please'.
Also if you use a translation website and key in 'faz favor' you get the translation as 'it makes favour'. Key in 'faz' on it's own and you get 'it makes'. Perhaps someone more fluent can educate us.

[blue]

In the very many classes I've taken 'por favor' is used more frequently 'se faz favor' being more formal or old fashioned. Certainly in my experience nearly all my Portuguese friends & the shop/restaurant assistants we come across use por favor. So I think it's a case of whichever you prefer.

[pete-flint]

As long as you make an effort at trying the language it breaks the ice and the locals like a trier.

[TomUK]

As long as you make an effort at trying the language it breaks the ice and the locals like a trier.

Spot on Pete.

[destroyer]

[quote="pete-flint"]As long as you make an effort at trying the language it breaks the ice and the locals like a trier.[/quote]

A universal truth Pete. I think the British in general are so reluctant to have a go (for lots of reasons) that a combination of white knees and two coherent sentences in a foreign language will mark you down as a real rarity, and earn the stunned admiration of many a waiter.

[HampshireRich]

It would probably surprise a lot of Brits how many foreign words they actually know - I certainly remember a lot of French words from my school days and short-term memory can do Spanish. But I struggle with Portuguese for some reason - it like trying to learn Welsh! - I also have difficulty picking out the individual words when listening to the locals having a conversation - it just seems one long word that never ends. Getting someone to tell me a word also does not seem to work - when I repeat it it sounds the same in my head, but they roll about laughing at my pronunciaion. - even obrigado gets strange looks!

Still, before every trip I read my list of 100 useful words and by the time the plane lands they all gone again!

[roy4eyes]

After 10 years here I can still only manage the basics, yet recently travelling through France I was reasonably fluent.

My theory is that whilst Italian, French and to a large extent Spanish are derived from a single source i.e. Latin - and many of we older students learned Latin at school, Portuguese is almost a 50/50 mix of Latin and Moorish -a language with which very few of us are conversant hence the difficulty.
Similarly foreigners find English difficult because it is derived from a mix of Latin and Saxon - although the world predominance firstly of the British Empire (ah those were the days !!) and then of those wealthy guys across the pond - have made it an essential learning task.
Think of the problems our children and grandchildren will have in the second half of the century learning the languages of the by then dominant world forces i.e. China and India !!

[ron5000]

After 10 years here I can still only manage the basics, yet recently travelling through France I was reasonably fluent.

My theory is that whilst Italian, French and to a large extent Spanish are derived from a single source i.e. Latin - and many of we older students learned Latin at school, Portuguese is almost a 50/50 mix of Latin and Moorish -a language with which very few of us are conversant hence the difficulty.
Similarly foreigners find English difficult because it is derived from a mix of Latin and Saxon - although the world predominance firstly of the British Empire (ah those were the days !!) and then of those wealthy guys across the pond - have made it an essential learning task.
Think of the problems our children and grandchildren will have in the second half of the century learning the languages of the by then dominant world forces i.e. China and India !!

Not so. The dominant world forces are all learning English. It is the only language the world understands and curiously is apparently easy to learn. My Portuguese partner spoke very little english 9 years ago and is now more or less fluent just through conversation with me and our UK friends. My 4 year old is fluent in both, as much as a 4 year old can be, but still prefers to speak in English as it is easier. All my Portuguese friends say English is a very easy language to pick up

[pete-flint]

Not if you live in South London !!

[pato]

It would probably surprise a lot of Brits how many foreign words they actually know - I certainly remember a lot of French words from my school days and short-term memory can do Spanish. But I struggle with Portuguese for some reason - it like trying to learn Welsh! - I also have difficulty picking out the individual words when listening to the locals having a conversation - it just seems one long word that never ends. Getting someone to tell me a word also does not seem to work - when I repeat it it sounds the same in my head, but they roll about laughing at my pronunciaion. - even obrigado gets strange looks!

Still, before every trip I read my list of 100 useful words and by the time the plane lands they all gone again!

Could you buy me a drink, or have you got a fag, or led me a few euros till my Giro comes should see you through.

[jamielyon4]

Not if you live in South London !!

quality...and no need to top up your tan there