The Phrasebook Problem

Traditional phrasebooks prepare you for conversations. But you're not going to have a conversation with a parking sign, a metro ticket machine, or a restaurant menu. You need to recognize what's in front of you—instantly, without fumbling for your phone.

Just Enough Portuguese teaches you to decode the Portuguese you'll actually encounter: road signs while driving, platform announcements, menu terms, and the tiny text that determines whether you're about to get a parking ticket.

🇧🇷 Brazil vs 🇵🇹 Portugal: Two Flavors of Portuguese

Brazilian and European Portuguese share roots but differ significantly in everyday vocabulary—especially on signs and screens. Use the toggle in the header to switch between them. Here's a taste of the differences:

🇧🇷 Brazil
  • ÔNIBUS — Bus
  • TREM — Train
  • BANHEIRO — Bathroom
  • CELULAR — Cell phone
  • CAFÉ DA MANHÃ — Breakfast
🇵🇹 Portugal
  • AUTOCARRO — Bus
  • COMBOIO — Train
  • CASA DE BANHO — Bathroom
  • TELEMÓVEL — Cell phone
  • PEQUENO-ALMOÇO — Breakfast
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Eyes on the Road

You can't pull out Google Translate at 120 km/h. Learn road signs before you need them.

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Instant Recognition

No grammar, no conjugation tables. Just the words you need to understand what's in front of you.

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BR/PT Toggle

Switch between Brazilian and European Portuguese with one click. See regional vocabulary instantly.

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The Gotchas

Portuguese has false friends and tricky terms. We flag the ones that trip up travelers.

Browse by Situation

Jump to the vocabulary you need right now

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Driving

Road signs, parking restrictions, toll booths, gas stations, and rental car vocabulary. Major differences between BR and PT!

Learn driving Portuguese
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Transit

Metro machines, platform signs, bus routes, train announcements. Navigate São Paulo, Rio, Lisbon, and Porto.

Learn transit Portuguese
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Food & Drink

Menu decoding, bakery vocabulary, market signs, coffee culture. Know what you're ordering.

Learn food Portuguese
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Lodging

Hotel terms, Airbnb instructions, laundry settings, appliance controls. Feel at home.

Learn lodging Portuguese
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Shopping

Store signs, pharmacy vocabulary, ATM screens, receipts. Handle transactions with confidence.

Learn shopping Portuguese
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Navigation

Building signs, museum vocabulary, park rules, public spaces. Find your way anywhere.

Learn navigation Portuguese
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Emergencies

Medical terms, emergency numbers (different in BR vs PT!), warning signs. The vocabulary you hope you won't need.

Learn emergency Portuguese
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The 50 Essential Words

The highest-frequency, highest-value recognition vocabulary. Start here if you're short on time.

See all 50 words

⚡ Quick Preview: Words You'll See Everywhere

SAÍDA
Exit
ENTRADA
Entrance
PROIBIDO
Forbidden / Prohibited
GRÁTIS
Free (no cost)
CUIDADO
Caution / Warning
ABERTO
Open

Built for Real Trips

This site exists because someone once spent 20 minutes trying to figure out if "ESTACIONAMENTO PROIBIDO" meant they were about to be towed. (They were.)

Every word and phrase here was chosen because it appears in situations where you can't easily reach for your phone: while driving, making quick decisions, or standing in a queue of impatient locals.

This isn't about becoming fluent. It's about not feeling illiterate.