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Portuguese phrases for finding things in the supermarket in Portugal

Catch a member of staff with “Com licença” and ask “Onde está o pão?” or “Em que corredor estão os produtos de limpeza?”. Expect short directions: “Fica à sua direita”, “Vire à esquerda”, “Siga em frente”. If you miss them, say “Pode repetir, por favor?” and finish with “Agradeço a sua ajuda”.

Try it · about two minutes

You can’t find the rice or the cleaning products, so you stop a member of staff and ask.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

How does the conversation usually go?

  1. You are looking for rice but can’t find it. A shop assistant is stacking shelves nearby.

    You

    Pode dizer-me onde está o arroz?

    Can you tell me where the rice is?

  2. Shop assistant

    Fica à sua direita.

    It’s on your right.

    You

    Pode repetir, por favor?

    Can you repeat, please?

  3. Shop assistant

    Precisa de mais alguma coisa?

    Do you need anything else?

    You

    Em que corredor estão os produtos de limpeza?

    Which aisle has the cleaning products?

  4. Shop assistant

    Vire à esquerda.

    Turn left.

    You

    É por aqui?

    Is it this way?

  5. Shop assistant

    Siga em frente.

    Go straight on.

    You

    Fale mais devagar, por favor.

    Please speak more slowly.

  6. Shop assistant

    Não tem erro.

    You can’t miss it.

    You

    Agradeço a sua ajuda.

    Thank you for your help.

Which Portuguese phrases do you need?

  • Com licença, onde está o pão?

    Excuse me, where is the bread?

  • Onde está o leite?

    Where is the milk?

  • Pode dizer-me onde está o arroz?

    Can you tell me where the rice is?

  • Em que corredor estão os produtos de limpeza?

    Which aisle has the cleaning products?

  • Tem ovos?

    Do you have eggs?

  • Fica à sua direita.

    It’s on your right.

  • Vire à esquerda.

    Turn left.

  • Siga em frente.

    Go straight on.

  • Pode repetir, por favor?

    Can you repeat, please?

  • Agradeço a sua ajuda.

    Thank you for your help.

What is worth knowing in Portugal?

Asking for help

  1. 1

    Catch an assistant’s eye with “com licença”.

    Com licença, onde está o pão?Excuse me, where is the bread?
  2. 2

    Listen for the direction words: direita (right), esquerda (left), em frente (straight on).

    Siga em frente.Go straight on.
  3. 3

    Look up: big supermarkets hang signs over each aisle, the corredor.

Words on the signs

Handy aisle words: congelados (frozen), padaria (bakery), talho (butcher), peixaria (fish) and produtos de limpeza (cleaning products).

Em que corredor estão os produtos de limpeza?

Which aisle has the cleaning products?

Getting past

Aisles can be narrow and people stop to compare. Say “com licença” as you pass and they will usually step aside.

Com licença, posso passar?

Excuse me, can I get past?

Questions about this situation

Which Portuguese phrases matter most here?
“Com licença, onde está o pão?” (Excuse me, where is the bread); “Onde está o leite?” (Where is the milk); “Pode dizer-me onde está o arroz?” (Can you tell me where the rice is). The full list is above.
Can I hear how they sound?
Not yet: this page has no recordings so far. Each phrase comes with its meaning in English.
How can I practise this conversation?
Press “Start the conversation” above to play it through and choose your replies, with a note on why some fit better in Portugal. Frasa, an iPhone app, lets you save these phrases and rehearse them out loud.

Related situations in Portuguese

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Practise these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.