Getting around
Metro
Próxima paragem.
Next stop.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Porto
Portugal
Porto stacks granite houses above the Douro, with port-wine lodges across the river in Gaia.
How the language is used
Portuguese is official. Riverside menus and metro screens use a northern accent, tighter than in Lisbon.
In this city
- Language
- Portuguese
- Also heard
- Mostly Portuguese
- A local word
- Francesinha — A francesinha, please.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The counter
Café
Um café, se faz favor.
One coffee, please.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Casa
Uma francesinha, se faz favor.
A francesinha, please.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
Rua
Bom dia.
Good morning.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
The northern accent is tighter than Lisbon's. Riverside menus and metro screens still use standard Portuguese.
Around Ribeira, Cedofeita, Foz, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Porto can run on four lines: “Próxima paragem.”, “Um café, se faz favor.”, “Uma francesinha, se faz favor.”, and “Bom dia.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- A shop may use você, or a polite infinitive. Tu is warmer, with people you know.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Porto, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Francesinha. It means A francesinha, please..
Places you can see
- Ribeira — The riverside quarter of arcades and painted fronts along the Douro.
- Dom Luís I Bridge — A two-level iron bridge; the metro crosses on the upper deck.
- Livraria Lello — An ornate bookshop with a red staircase, still a working shop.
Food
The city is known for the francesinha sandwich and for port blended in the Gaia lodges.
Getting around
The metro climbs onto the upper deck of the bridge, and trams still run by the river.
Daily life
You hear a northern Portuguese vowel on the quays, while the signs stay in Portuguese.
A few everyday phrases
Portuguese
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Olá | Hello |
| Obrigado | Thank you |
| Bom dia | Good morning |
| Chamo-me… | My name is… |
