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South American Experience
Travel Experts to Latin America
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0845 277 3366
Language Survival
Learning the language is an important part of preparation for any trip to Latin America and we can only encourage you to make an effort to grasp the basics before you go. Nevertheless, we recognise that some people will still need help and we have prepared this language aid to help you survive. We have designed it so as to be a simple as possible. It is NOT designed to be grammatically correct but it will help you understand and be understood.
GENERAL PRONUNCIATION
| SPANISH |
LETTER | PORTUGUESE |
| As the |
a | as the Spanish |
| As the |
e | as the Spanish |
| As the |
i | as the Spanish |
| As the |
o | as the Spanish but also as the |
| As in the |
u | as the Spanish |
| As the |
j | As the |
| Not found | õe ãe |
A nasalised sound ...the same as if you pinched your nose and said penguin! |
| As the |
S | As the Spanish but sometimes as in the |
| Not pronounced | H | Not pronounced |
| As the |
Ñ (Portuguese - nh) | As in the Spanish |
| As the |
Ll(Portuguese - lh) | As the ‘yell’ in yellow |
| As in English | D | Sometimes pronounced as the |
The Basics
| Spanish |
English | Portuguese |
| Hola | Hello | Ola |
| Buenos dias/tardes/noches | Good morning/ afternoon/ evening | Bom dia/boa tarde/boa noite |
| Si | Yes | Sim |
| No | No | Nao |
| Por favor | Please | Faz favor |
| Gracias | Thank you | Obrigado |
| Habla ingles? | Do you speak English? | Fala ingles? |
| No hay | We don’t have any | Nao tenho (temos) |
| Perdon | Excuse me | Disculpa |
| No comprendo | I do not understand | Nao comprendo |
Getting Around
| Donde esta el hotel/el correo | Where is the hotel/post office | Onde esta o hotel/correio | ||
| A la izquierda/derecha | on the left/right | a isquerda/ a dereita | ||
| derecho | straight on | dereito | ||
| segunda calle a la derecha | second road on the right | segunda rua na dereita | ||
| La estacion | The train station | A estacion de trem | ||
| La terminal | The Bus station | o rodoviario | ||
| Autobus Huahua Camion | Bus | Omnibus | ||
| Tren | Train | Trem | ||
| Primera Segunda Clase | First Second Class | Primeira Segunda clase | ||
| La taquilla | ticket office | a bilheteria | ||
| Un boleto | A ticket | Um bilhete | ||
| La Parada | The stop | A parada | ||
| Time |
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| A que hora...? | What time...? | A que hora...? | ||
| ...sale | ...does it leave? | ...sai? | ||
| ...llega? | ...does it arrive? | ...chega? | ||
| a la una | at one o’clock | a uma | ||
| a las dos y media | at two thirty (literally "2 and half" | as duas e meia | ||
| a cuarto para las tres | at quarter to three | a um quarto para as tres | ||
| en diez minutos (manana) | in ten minutes (tomorrow) | em dez minutos (amanha) | ||
| Tarda mucho? | Does it take long | Tarda muito | ||
| Cinco horas | Five hours | Cinco horas | ||
| Cuando? | When? | Quando? | ||
| Lunes Martes Miercoles | Monday Tuesday Wednesday | Segunda(feira) Terca Quarta | ||
| Jueves Viernes Sabado Domingo | Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday | Quinta Sexta Sabado Domingo | ||
| ACCOMMODATION |
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| Cuarto | Room | Quarto | ||
| Sencillo/Doble | Single/Double | Sencillo/Doble | ||
| Con dos camas | With two beds | Com duas camas | ||
| Con bano privado | With private bathroom | Com banho privado | ||
| Agua caliente/frio | hot/cold water | agua quente/fria | ||
| Toallas limpias/sucias | Clean/dirty towells | Toalhas limpias/sucias | ||
| Sabana | Sheet | Lencol | ||
| Limpiar | Make up (the room) | Limpiar | ||
| Papel higienico | Toilette paper | Papel higienico | ||
| Ruidoso | Noisy | Ruidoso | ||
| Cuarto atras | Room at the back | Cuarto atras | ||
| Seis noches | for six nights | Meia noites | ||
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| Farmacia |
Chemist |
Farmacia |
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| (Para) Dolor | (For) Pain | (Para) Dor | ||
| Estomago | Stomach | Estomago | ||
| Preservativos | Condoms | Preservativos | ||
| Fiebre/Sudor | Fever/Sweat | Febre/Sudor | ||
| Paludrismo/malaria | Malaria | Malaria | ||
| Soroche/Oxigeno/Glucosa | Altitude sickness/Oxygen/Glucose | n/a | ||
| Diarrea/Mucoso/Sangre | Diarrhoea/Mucousy/Blood | Diarrea/Mucoso/Sangue | ||
| Medico | Doctor | Doutor | ||
| Regla/Toallas | Period /Towels | Menstruacao/Pencos | ||
| Lentes de contacto | Contact lenses | Lentes de contacto | ||
| Aspirina | Aspirin | Aspinina | ||
| Papel higienico | Toilet paper | Papel higienico | ||
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| QUESTIONS |
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| Donde esta (el museo)? | Where is (the museum)? | Onde esta o museo? | ||
| Cuando? A que hora? | When? At what time? | Quando? A que hora? | ||
| Que es ? | What is it? | O que e? | ||
| Cuanto es? | How much? | Quanto e? | ||
| Por que? | Why? | Por que? | ||
| Como llegar | How do I get to? | Para chegar? | ||
| La iglesia esta por aqui? | Is this the way to the church/ | Vou bem para igreja? | ||
| Que hora es? | What is the time? | Que ora e? | ||
| Que autobus va a...? | Which bus goes to...? | Que autobus vai para...? | ||
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| DINERO |
MONEY |
DINHERO |
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| Cambio | Exchange | Cambio | ||
| Banco | Bank | Banco | ||
| Tasa de cambio | Rate of exchange | Cambio | ||
| Dolar/Libra esterlina | Dollar/Sterling | Dolar/libra esterlina | ||
| Notas/Monedas | Notes/Coins | Notas/Muedas | ||
| Travelers | Travellers cheques | Travelers | ||
| Efectivo | Cash | Efectivo | ||
| Comision | Commission | Comisao | ||
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NUMBERS |
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| Un/una (Cien/ciento) | one (one hundred) | Um/uma (Cem/cento) | ||
| Dos (Dos cientos) | two (two hundred) | Dois (Duzentos) | ||
| Tres (Tres cientos) | three (three hundred | Tres (Trezentos) | ||
| Cuatro (Cuatro cientos) | four (four hundred) | Quatro (Quatro centos) | ||
| Cinco (Quinientos) | five (five hundred) | Cinco (Quinhentos) | ||
| Seis (Seis cientos) | six (six hundred) | Seis (Seiscentos)(sometimes meia) | ||
| Siete (Sete cientos) | seven (seven hundred) | Sete (Setecentos) | ||
| Ocho (Ocho cientos) | eight (eight hundred) | Oito (Oitocentos) | ||
| Nueve (Nove cientos) | nine (nine hundred) | Nove (Novecentos) | ||
| Diez (Mil) | ten (one thousand) | Dez (Mil) | ||
| Once | eleven | Onze | ||
| Doce | twelve | Doze | ||
| Trece | thirteen | Treze | ||
| Quatorce | fourteen | Quatorze | ||
| Quince | fifteen | Quinze | ||
| Dieciseis | sixteen | Dezaseis | ||
| Diecisiete | seventeen | Dezasete | ||
| Dieciocho | eighteen | Dezoito | ||
| Diecinueve | nineteen | Dezanove | ||
| Veinte (Veinte uno, dos etc) | twenty (twenty one,two etc) | Vinte (Vinte e um, dois etc) | ||
| Treinta | Thirty | Trinta | ||
| Cuarenta | Forty | Quarenta | ||
| Cincuenta | Fifty | Cincuenta | ||
| Sesenta | Sixty | Sesenta | ||
| Setenta | Seventy | Setenta | ||
| Ochenta | Eighty | Oitenta | ||
| Noventa | Ninety | Noventa | ||
| Cien/ciento | Hundred | Cem | ||
| Mil, dos mil,tres mil etc | One thousand, etc | Mil, dois mil, tres mil etc. | ||
| Dos mil tres cientos | Two thousand three hundred | Dois mil trezentos | ||
| Tres cientos mil | Three hundred thousand | Trezentos mil | ||
| Cuatro cientos veite mil | Four hundred and twenty thousand | Cuatro centos vinte mil | ||
| TIME |
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| Es la una | It is one o’clock | E uma | ||
| Son las dos | It is two o’clock | As duas horas | ||
| Son las tres y veinte | It is three twenty | As tres vinte | ||
| Son las cuatro y media | It is four thirty | As cuatro e meia | ||
| Son las seis menos diez | It is ten to six | - | ||
| Son diez para las seis | It is ten to six | Dez para as seis | ||
| Son las ocho y cuarto | It is quarter past eight | As oito y cuarto | ||
| KEY VERBS |
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| Ir | To go | Ir | ||
| Voy | I go | Vou | ||
| Va | He, she or it goes | Vai | ||
| Vamos | We go | Vamos | ||
| Van | They go | Vao | ||
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| Tener | To have | Ter | ||
| Tengo | I have | Tenho | ||
| Tiene | He, she or it has | Tem | ||
| Tenemos | We have | Temos | ||
| Tienen | They have | Tem | ||
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| Ser | To be (permanent states) | Ser | ||
| Soy (profesor) | I am ( a teacher) | Sou (profesor) | ||
| Es | He, she or it is | E | ||
| Somos | We are | Somos | ||
| Son | They are | Sao | ||
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| Estar | To be (positional or temporary state) | Estar | ||
| Estoy (en Londres) | I am (in London) | Estou (em Londres) | ||
| Esta (contento) | He, she or it is (happy) | Esta (contento) | ||
| Estamos | We are | Estamos | ||
| Estan | They are | Estao | ||
Last Updated: Tuesday May 13 2008