Communicative function: asking for information, expressing needs

These are pure survival phrases — without them you can't find a bathroom, order lunch, ask a price, or get help when you're lost. From Onde fica o banheiro? to Preciso de um médico, this toolkit handles real needs and real emergencies. Learn this handful of patterns and you can walk into any Brazilian shop, street, or restaurant and actually get what you came for.

This is the lesson where everything clicks together. You already have the question words and the verbs — now add a couple of magic politeness words and you can get directions, prices, help, even a doctor. The two that open almost anything: Com licença (excuse me, to approach someone) and Por favor (please, to soften any request).

Asking for Information — politely

Lead with com licença, then ask. Your everyday info questions:

At Stores & Services

• "Quanto custa essa camisa?" (How much is this shirt?)

• "Tem de outra cor?" (Do you have it in another color?)

• "Aceita cartão?" (Do you take cards?)

• "Com licença, onde fica o provador?" (Excuse me, where's the fitting room?)

• "Preciso de uma sacola, por favor." (I need a bag, please.)

Getting Directions

• "Com licença, onde fica a estação?" (Excuse me, where's the station?)

• "Como chego no centro?" (How do I get downtown?)

• "Fica longe daqui?" (Is it far from here?)

• "Você pode me mostrar no mapa?" (Can you show me on the map?)

The politeness ladder for "I want"

• Direct: "Quero água." (I want water — fine with friends, can sound blunt to strangers)

• Polite: "Queria água, por favor." (I'd like water — the safe everyday choice)

Soften direct questions to strangers

A bare question can sound abrupt. Open with com licença or por favor:

• ❌ "Que horas são?" (cold, to a stranger)

• ✅ "Com licença, que horas são?"

The all-purpose "Tem"

Tem covers both "is there" and "do you have":

• "Tem troco?" = Do you have change? / Is there change?

When you say obrigado, you're literally saying "[I am] obliged" — it traces back to the Latin obligare, "to bind," as if a kindness ties you to the other person with a little knot of gratitude. That's also why it agrees with you, the speaker, not the person you're thanking: a man says obrigado, a woman says obrigada.

Sources: Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa, Dicio