Finding Your Way: Asking for Directions in Portuguese
Asking for directions · a free Portuguese (Portugal) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Com licença, pode ajudar-me?
Excuse me, can you help me?
Literal With permission, can you help me?
'Com licença' is the standard way to politely get someone's attention in Portugal. 'Pode ajudar-me?' uses the present tense of 'poder' as a polite request form.
- 'Pode' is the third-person singular of 'poder' (to be able to/can)
- In European Portuguese, clitic pronouns attach to the verb with a hyphen: 'ajudar-me'
Onde fica a estação de metro mais próxima?
Where is the nearest metro station?
Literal Where is located the metro station most near?
'Onde fica' is the natural way to ask where something is located. 'Fica' (from 'ficar') is preferred over 'é' for physical locations in European Portuguese.
- 'Onde fica' = where is (for locations, not identity)
- 'mais próxima' = nearest, using 'mais' + adjective for superlative
- Article 'a' agrees with feminine noun 'estação'
Para chegar ao museu, vire à direita na próxima rua.
To get to the museum, turn right at the next street.
Literal To arrive at the museum, turn to the right in the next street.
'Vire' is the formal imperative of 'virar' (to turn), used when giving directions. 'À direita' means 'to the right', where 'à' is the contraction of 'a' + 'a'.
- 'Vire' is the formal (você) imperative of 'virar'
- 'à direita' = to the right (preposition 'a' + feminine article 'a' → 'à')
- 'para chegar a' = to get to/to arrive at
Siga em frente até ao semáforo.
Go straight ahead until the traffic light.
Literal Follow in front until to the traffic light.
'Siga' is the formal imperative of 'seguir' (to follow/go), extremely common in directions. 'Em frente' means straight ahead, and 'até ao' means 'until the'.
- 'Siga' is the formal imperative of 'seguir'
- 'em frente' = straight ahead
- 'até ao' = until/as far as the (até + a + o → até ao)
Fica perto daqui ou é muito longe?
Is it nearby or is it very far?
Literal It is located near from here or it is very far?
'Perto daqui' means 'near here', where 'daqui' is the contraction of 'de' + 'aqui'. This is a natural way to check how far something is before committing to walking.
- 'daqui' = from here (de + aqui)
- 'perto de' = near/close to
- 'longe' = far (adverb/adjective)
Poderia indicar-me como chegar à praça central?
Could you tell me how to get to the central square?
Literal Could you indicate to me how to arrive at the central square?
'Poderia' is the conditional tense of 'poder', making this more formal and polite than 'pode'. 'Indicar-me' places the clitic 'me' after the infinitive, standard in European Portuguese.
- 'Poderia' = conditional of 'poder' (more polite than 'pode')
- Clitic pronoun after infinitive with hyphen: 'indicar-me'
- 'à praça' = to the square (a + a → à)
Depois da farmácia, vire à esquerda.
After the pharmacy, turn left.
Literal After the pharmacy, turn to the left.
'Depois de' means 'after'. Combined with the feminine article 'a', it contracts to 'depois da'. 'À esquerda' means 'to the left', mirroring the structure of 'à direita'.
- 'depois de' + feminine article: depois da
- 'à esquerda' = to the left (a + a → à)
- 'vire' = formal imperative of 'virar'
O banco fica mesmo ao lado do correio.
The bank is right next to the post office.
Literal The bank is located right at the side of the post office.
'Ao lado de' is the preposition meaning 'next to' or 'beside'. 'Mesmo' here intensifies the location, meaning 'right' or 'exactly'. 'Do' is the contraction of 'de' + 'o'.
- 'ao lado de' = next to/beside
- 'mesmo' as adverb = right/exactly (intensifier)
- 'do' = de + o (masculine contraction)
Desculpe, não percebi bem. Pode repetir mais devagar?
Sorry, I didn't quite understand. Can you repeat more slowly?
Literal Excuse me, I did not understand well. Can you repeat more slowly?
'Desculpe' is a formal, polite apology. 'Percebi' is the preterite of 'perceber' (to understand). Asking to speak more slowly ('mais devagar') is an essential learner phrase for real conversations.
- 'Desculpe' = formal apology (imperative form of 'desculpar')
- 'percebi' = preterite of 'perceber' (to understand)
- 'mais devagar' = more slowly (comparative with 'mais')
Muito obrigado pela ajuda, já sei como chegar lá!
Thank you very much for the help, I know how to get there now!
Literal Very thank you for the help, already I know how to arrive there!
'Obrigado' (male speaker) or 'obrigada' (female speaker) agrees with the speaker's gender, not the recipient's. 'Pela' is the contraction of 'por' + 'a'. 'Já' here means 'now/already'.
- 'obrigado/obrigada' agrees with the speaker's gender
- 'pela' = por + a (contraction: for the)
- 'já' = already/now in affirmative contexts
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
virar
to turn
Vire à direita na esquina.
Turn right at the corner.
Formal imperative: 'vire'; informal: 'vira'
seguir
to go / to continue
Siga em frente por dois quarteirões.
Go straight ahead for two blocks.
Formal imperative: 'siga' — the most common verb in direction-giving
direita
right
O hospital fica à direita.
The hospital is on the right.
Always paired with 'à' when indicating direction: à direita
esquerda
left
Vire à esquerda depois do semáforo.
Turn left after the traffic light.
Always paired with 'à' when indicating direction: à esquerda
semáforo
traffic light
Pare no semáforo e depois siga em frente.
Stop at the traffic light and then go straight ahead.
One of the most useful landmarks when receiving or giving directions
esquina
street corner
A padaria fica mesmo na esquina.
The bakery is right on the corner.
Used specifically for street corners; 'canto' is for indoor corners
perto
near / nearby
A estação fica perto daqui.
The station is nearby.
Opposite: 'longe'. Used with 'de': perto de = near to
atravessar
to cross
Atravesse a ponte e vire à esquerda.
Cross the bridge and turn left.
Formal imperative: 'atravesse'; used for crossing streets, bridges, squares
caminho
way / route / path
Pode indicar-me o caminho para a estação?
Can you show me the way to the station?
General term for 'way' or 'route'; also used figuratively
quarteirão
city block
Siga dois quarteirões e depois vire à direita.
Go two blocks and then turn right.
Plural: 'quarteirões'. A practical unit for measuring walking distance
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Maria estava perdida no centro histórico de Lisboa. Parou um senhor simpático e perguntou: «Com licença, poderia indicar-me como chegar ao Museu do Azulejo?» O senhor sorriu e disse: «Claro! Siga em frente até ao semáforo, vire à direita e depois atravesse a praça. O museu fica ao lado de uma farmácia, mesmo na esquina.» Maria agradeceu e, seguindo as indicações com cuidado, chegou ao museu em dez minutos.
Sentence by sentence
estava perdida no centro histórico
was lost in the historic centre
'Estava' is the imperfect of 'estar', used for temporary states. 'Perdida' is a past participle used as adjective, agreeing with the feminine subject Maria. 'No' = em + o.
poderia indicar-me como chegar ao Museu
could you tell me how to get to the Museum
'Poderia' (conditional of 'poder') signals heightened politeness. 'Indicar-me' shows the European Portuguese clitic position: pronoun attaches after the infinitive with a hyphen.
Siga em frente até ao semáforo
Go straight ahead to the traffic light
'Siga' is the formal imperative of 'seguir'. 'Em frente' = straight ahead. 'Até ao' = as far as the / until the (até + a + o).
vire à direita e depois atravesse a praça
turn right and then cross the square
Two formal imperatives in sequence: 'vire' (virar) and 'atravesse' (atravessar). 'À direita' uses the contracted feminine preposition. 'Depois' = then/after.
fica ao lado de uma farmácia, mesmo na esquina
is next to a pharmacy, right on the corner
'Ao lado de' = next to/beside. 'Mesmo' intensifies the location ('right on'). 'Na esquina' = on the corner (em + a → na).
seguindo as indicações com cuidado, chegou ao museu
carefully following the directions, she arrived at the museum
'Seguindo' is the gerund of 'seguir' (following/going along). 'Chegou' is the preterite of 'chegar' (to arrive). 'Ao museu' = a + o → ao.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Requests: Pode vs. Poderia + Infinitive
In Portuguese, polite requests are formed with 'Pode' (present tense: can you?) or the more formal 'Poderia' (conditional tense: could you?), followed by an infinitive verb. 'Poderia' adds extra courtesy and is preferred when speaking to strangers. In European Portuguese, object pronouns (me, lhe, nos) typically attach after the infinitive or conjugated verb with a hyphen, rather than appearing before it as in Brazilian Portuguese.
Pode / Poderia + [infinitive]-[clitic]?
Pode ajudar-me?
Can you help me?
Poderia indicar-me o caminho?
Could you show me the way?
Pode repetir mais devagar?
Can you repeat more slowly?
Poderia dizer-me onde fica a estação?
Could you tell me where the station is?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Excuse me, could you help me?
Hint Use 'com licença' to get someone's attention politely.
Para chegar ao museu, vire à _____ na próxima rua.
Hint The opposite of 'esquerda'.
You want to politely ask a stranger how to get to the main square. Which phrase is most appropriate?
Hint Think about which verb form sounds more formal and courteous.
Siga em frente até ao semáforo.
Hint 'Seguir em frente' means to continue forward.
Rewrite this sentence using 'poderia' instead of 'pode' to make it more polite: 'Pode repetir mais devagar?'
Hint Just swap 'pode' for its conditional form.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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