Finding Your Way: Asking for Directions in Portuguese
Asking for directions · a free Portuguese (Brazil) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Com licença, poderia me ajudar a encontrar a estação de metrô?
Excuse me, could you help me find the subway station?
Literal With permission, could you me help to find the station of metro?
A polite opener using 'com licença' to get someone's attention and 'poderia' (conditional of poder) to make the request softer and more courteous.
- 'Com licença' is a polite filler to interrupt or get attention — literally 'with permission'
- 'Poderia' is the conditional form of 'poder', used for polite requests instead of the more direct 'pode'
Estou perdida e não sei como chegar ao centro histórico.
I'm lost and don't know how to get to the historic center.
Literal I am lost and not know how to arrive at the historic center.
'Estou perdida' uses estar for a temporary state. 'Chegar a' means 'to get to/arrive at' a place — a key verb for directions.
- 'Estou perdido/a' uses estar (not ser) because being lost is a temporary state
- 'Chegar a' + place = to get to/arrive at somewhere; 'ao' = a + o (contraction)
Vire à direita na próxima esquina e depois siga em frente.
Turn right at the next corner and then go straight ahead.
Literal Turn to the right at the next corner and after follow in front.
Imperative verbs 'vire' and 'siga' are the natural way to give directions. 'À direita' (to the right) and 'em frente' (straight ahead) are core directional phrases.
- 'Vire' is the imperative (você form) of 'virar' — formed from present subjunctive
- 'Siga' is the imperative of 'seguir' (to follow/go)
- 'Em frente' = straight ahead
Continue por dois quarteirões até chegar ao semáforo.
Continue for two blocks until you reach the traffic light.
Literal Continue for two blocks until to arrive at the traffic light.
'Continue' is the imperative of 'continuar'. 'Até chegar a' is a very common structure meaning 'until you get to' a landmark.
- 'Continue' is the imperative of 'continuar' (to continue)
- 'Até chegar a' = until reaching/arriving at — infinitive after 'até'
- 'Quarteirão' (plural 'quarteirões') is the Brazilian Portuguese word for city block
A padaria fica ao lado da farmácia, bem no meio da rua.
The bakery is right next to the pharmacy, in the middle of the street.
Literal The bakery is at the side of the pharmacy, right in the middle of the street.
'Fica' (from ficar) is the go-to verb for describing where something is located. 'Ao lado de' means 'next to/beside' and is essential for landmark-based directions.
- 'Fica' from 'ficar' is the standard verb for location — more natural than 'está' for fixed places
- 'Ao lado de' = next to, beside; 'da' = de + a (contraction with feminine article)
O museu está localizado antes do parque, do lado esquerdo.
The museum is located before the park, on the left side.
Literal The museum is located before the park, on the left side.
'Antes de' marks a spatial position — you pass the museum before reaching the park. 'Localizado' is a past participle used as an adjective to describe fixed position.
- 'Localizado' is the past participle of 'localizar', used as a descriptive adjective
- 'Antes de' = before (works for both space and time)
- 'Do lado esquerdo' = on the left side; 'do' = de + o
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor? Não entendi bem.
Can you speak more slowly, please? I didn't quite understand.
Literal Can speak more slowly, please? Not understood well.
A natural phrase for asking for clarification when someone speaks too fast. 'Não entendi' is the simple past — you didn't understand in that moment.
- 'Pode' is present tense of 'poder' used for polite requests — slightly less formal than 'poderia'
- 'Não entendi' = I didn't understand (pretérito perfeito of 'entender')
Daqui até a praça central são aproximadamente quinze minutos a pé.
From here to the central square is approximately fifteen minutes on foot.
Literal From here until the central square are approximately fifteen minutes by foot.
'Daqui' (from here) + 'até' + destination is a common formula for estimating travel distance. 'A pé' meaning 'on foot' is essential for urban navigation.
- 'Daqui' = from here (de + aqui, contracted)
- 'A pé' = on foot (very common in Brazilian directions)
- 'São aproximadamente' = it is approximately — plural with 'minutos'
Em frente ao hotel há uma placa indicando o caminho para o aeroporto.
In front of the hotel there is a sign indicating the way to the airport.
Literal In front of the hotel there is a sign indicating the path for the airport.
'Em frente a' means 'in front of/across from'. 'Há' from haver expresses existence. 'Indicando' is the gerund describing what the sign is doing.
- 'Em frente a' = in front of/across from; 'ao' = a + o (masculine article contraction)
- 'Há' = there is/are (from haver, used for existence and not location)
- Gerund 'indicando' describes the ongoing function of the sign
Muito obrigado pela ajuda, o senhor foi muito prestativo!
Thank you very much for the help, you were very helpful!
Literal Very obliged for the help, the sir was very helpful!
'Muito obrigado/a' is the warm, standard way to thank someone. 'O senhor' is a respectful form of address for an older man, more formal than 'você'.
- 'Muito obrigado' (masculine speaker) / 'muito obrigada' (feminine speaker) — the speaker agrees, not the listener
- 'O senhor' is a formal/respectful address for a man; feminine equivalent is 'a senhora'
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
virar
to turn
Vire à esquerda na próxima rua.
Turn left at the next street.
Imperative form 'vire' is the most common in directions; informal spoken form is sometimes 'vira'
semáforo
traffic light
Continue até o semáforo e depois vire à direita.
Continue to the traffic light and then turn right.
A key landmark reference in Brazilian street directions
quarteirão
city block
Siga em frente por três quarteirões.
Go straight ahead for three blocks.
Plural: 'quarteirões'. Standard unit of distance in Brazilian urban directions
esquina
street corner
A farmácia fica bem na esquina.
The pharmacy is right on the corner.
Refers to an intersection corner — one of the most useful words for giving directions
perdido
lost
Estou perdido, pode me ajudar?
I'm lost, can you help me?
Feminine form: 'perdida'. Always used with 'estar', never 'ser', as it's a temporary state
localizado
located
O banco está localizado ao lado da praça.
The bank is located next to the square.
Past participle of 'localizar', used as an adjective to describe fixed location
ao lado de
next to, beside
A loja fica ao lado do restaurante.
The store is next to the restaurant.
'De' contracts with articles: 'do' (de + o), 'da' (de + a), 'dos', 'das'
em frente a
in front of, across from
O ponto de ônibus fica em frente ao supermercado.
The bus stop is in front of the supermarket.
'A' contracts with masculine articles: 'ao' (a + o); 'à' with feminine: 'à farmácia'
a pé
on foot
Daqui são dez minutos a pé.
It's ten minutes from here on foot.
Essential phrase when estimating walking distance in directions
devagar
slowly
Por favor, fale mais devagar.
Please speak more slowly.
Used with 'mais devagar' (more slowly) when asking someone to repeat or slow down
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Ana estava visitando São Paulo pela primeira vez e ficou perdida no centro da cidade. Ela parou um senhor na calçada e perguntou educadamente: 'Com licença, poderia me dizer como chegar à Avenida Paulista?' O homem sorriu e explicou com calma: 'Vire à esquerda nessa esquina, siga em frente por dois quarteirões e, depois do semáforo, a avenida fica do lado direito.' Ana não entendeu bem e pediu: 'Pode repetir mais devagar?' O senhor repetiu sorrindo, e ela seguiu o caminho com confiança.
Sentence by sentence
ficou perdida no centro da cidade
got lost in the city center
'Ficou' (past tense of ficar) + adjective describes a change of state — she became lost. Using ficar here, not estar, emphasizes the transition into that state.
como chegar à Avenida Paulista
how to get to Avenida Paulista
'Como chegar a' is the standard formula for asking how to get somewhere. 'À' is the contraction of preposition 'a' + feminine article 'a'.
Vire à esquerda nessa esquina
Turn left at that corner
Imperative 'vire' + 'à esquerda' (to the left) + 'nessa esquina' (at that corner). 'Nessa' = em + essa, a natural contraction.
depois do semáforo
after the traffic light
'Depois de' + article + landmark is the standard way to say 'after X'. 'Do' = de + o (masculine definite article).
seguiu o caminho com confiança
followed the route with confidence
'Seguiu' is the simple past of 'seguir'. 'Com confiança' (with confidence) shows the practical payoff of a successful directions exchange.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Imperative Verbs for Giving Directions (vire, siga, continue)
In Brazilian Portuguese, directions use the imperative mood — specifically the você form, which is built from the present subjunctive. For -ar verbs, drop the -o from the eu present form and add -e (falar → falo → fale). For -er/-ir verbs, add -a (seguir → sigo → siga). These forms sound natural and direct without being rude.
[Imperative verb] + [à direita / à esquerda / em frente] + [até / na / depois de] + [landmark]
Vire à direita na esquina.
Turn right at the corner.
Siga em frente até o semáforo.
Go straight ahead until the traffic light.
Continue por dois quarteirões.
Continue for two blocks.
Pegue a primeira rua à esquerda depois do banco.
Take the first street on the left after the bank.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Portuguese (Brazil): "Excuse me, could you help me find the subway station?"
Hint Start with a polite phrase to get someone's attention.
What does this sentence mean? "Vire à direita na próxima esquina e depois siga em frente."
Hint "Vire" and "siga" are imperative verbs giving directions.
Complete the sentence with the correct imperative verb: "_____ por dois quarteirões até chegar ao semáforo." (Keep going / Continue)
Hint This verb means to keep going or to continue forward.
Someone is speaking too fast and you didn't understand. Which phrase do you use?
Rewrite this sentence using "ao lado de" (next to) instead of "antes do": "O museu está localizado antes do parque, do lado esquerdo."
Hint "Ao lado de" contracts with "do" when followed by a masculine noun.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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