Portuguese for settling in: flat, tax number and bank

Flat, tax number, bank and doctor’s appointment: Portuguese for anyone living in Portugal for a while.

38 sentences · 3 dialogues · 17 words

Why this field

Move to Portugal and you soon notice that English is not always enough for a tenancy agreement, a bank account, a public office or a doctor’s appointment. Offices, landlords and health centres work in Portuguese, and so do their forms.

The errands repeat themselves, and so do the sentences: taking a ticket, handing in documents, asking what is missing. If you can say them with confidence, you lose less time and fewer nerves.

What you will be able to do

Goals by level. Tick what you can already do — the tick stays in this browser only.

A1I can give and spell my name, address and phone number.
A2I can view a flat and ask about the rent and bills.
A2I can make a doctor’s appointment and say what is wrong.
B1I can explain what I need at an office and ask what documents are missing.
B1I can open a bank account and report damage in the flat.
B2I can make a written complaint and insist on a deadline.

Core vocabulary

17 words from the word lists, ordered by level. A coloured edge shows what you have already practised.

a rendathe rentA1
a casathe houseA1
o senhoriothe landlordA2
a cauçãothe depositB1
o contrato de arrendamentothe tenancy agreementB1
as despesasthe outgoingsB1
mobiladofurnishedB1
a avariathe faultB1
a senhathe queue ticketB1
a marcaçãothe appointmentB1
o formuláriothe formB1
o comprovativothe proof, the supporting documentB1
a moradathe postal addressB1
a segurança socialthe social securityB1
a conta bancáriathe bank accountB1
a transferênciathe transferB1
o centro de saúdethe health centreB1

Practise as flashcards Card box Mixed round

Typical situations

Short dialogues to read along and repeat. Say one part first, then the other.

Viewing a flat

You are looking round a flat you would like to rent.

Landlady
Olá, entre, entre. Esta é a sala.Hello, come in, come in. This is the living room.
Prospective tenant
É muito luminosa. Os móveis ficam?It’s very bright. Is the furniture staying?
Landlady
Ficam, menos no quarto pequeno, que está vazio.It is, except in the small bedroom, which is empty.
Prospective tenant
E a água e a luz estão incluídas na renda?And are water and electricity included in the rent?
Landlady
A água sim. A luz paga o senhor.Water, yes. You pay the electricity.
Prospective tenant
Posso vir morar no início do mês?Can I move in at the beginning of the month?
Landlady
Pode, sim. Esta semana preparo os papéis.Yes, you can. I’ll get the paperwork ready this week.

An appointment at the health centre

You ring to get an appointment with your GP.

Reception
Bom dia, diga.Good morning, how can I help?
Patient
Bom dia. Queria marcar uma consulta com o meu médico de família.Good morning. I’d like to make an appointment with my GP.
Reception
Diga-me o seu número de utente, por favor.Could you give me your patient number, please?
Patient
Um momento, que estou à procura do cartão.Just a moment, I’m looking for the card.
Reception
Tenho vaga amanhã às onze e meia.I have a slot tomorrow at half past eleven.
Patient
Perfeito, dá-me jeito. Obrigada.Perfect, that suits me. Thank you.

At the registry office

You have an appointment to register your address.

Clerk
Bom dia. Tem marcação?Good morning. Do you have an appointment?
Applicant
Tenho, às dez. Venho tratar do registo de residência.Yes, at ten. I’ve come to register my address.
Clerk
Muito bem. Preciso do seu passaporte e de um comprovativo de morada.Fine. I need your passport and proof of address.
Applicant
Aqui tem. O contrato está em nome da minha companheira, há problema?Here you are. The contract is in my partner’s name — is that a problem?
Clerk
Então preciso também de uma declaração assinada por ela.Then I also need a declaration signed by her.
Applicant
Que chatice. Posso trazê-la noutro dia?What a nuisance. Can I bring it another day?
Clerk
Pode, mas tem de fazer nova marcação.You can, but you’ll have to make a new appointment.

Sentences to say aloud

The label says where a sentence belongs. The speaker next to it reads it aloud.

Chamo-me Lukas Bauer: bê, á, u, é, erre.My name is Lukas Bauer: B, A, U, E, R.
A1neutral You spell with the Portuguese names of the letters; R is erre.
Moro na Rua das Flores, número doze.I live at number twelve, Rua das Flores.
A1neutral
Qual é o seu número de telemóvel?What is your mobile number?
A1polite A mobile phone is telemóvel in Portugal and celular in Brazil.
Pode escrever-me isso, por favor?Could you write that down for me, please?
A1polite
Preciso de um médico.I need a doctor.
A1neutral
Dói-me a cabeça.I’ve got a headache.
A1neutral
Onde há uma farmácia?Where is there a chemist’s?
A1neutral
Sou novo no bairro.I’m new in the neighbourhood.
A1neutral
Ligo por causa do apartamento da Rua do Sol. Ainda está livre?I’m calling about the flat in Rua do Sol. Is it still available?
A2neutral
Quanto é a renda por mês?How much is the rent a month?
A2neutral
A água e a luz estão incluídas?Are water and electricity included?
A2neutral
O senhorio vive no andar de baixo.The landlord lives on the floor below.
A2neutral
O aquecimento não funciona desde ontem.The heating hasn’t been working since yesterday.
A2neutral
Tenho febre há dois dias.I’ve had a temperature for two days.
A2neutral
A máquina de lavar não funciona. Pode vir alguém ver?The washing machine isn’t working. Can someone come and have a look?
A2neutral
Amanhã vem o técnico às nove.The engineer is coming tomorrow at nine.
A2neutral
Mudámos de casa na semana passada.We moved house last week.
A2neutral
O prédio não tem elevador.The building has no lift.
A2neutral
Esta casa é muito luminosa.This flat is very bright.
A2neutral
Telefono por causa do anúncio do apartamento.I’m calling about the advert for the flat.
B1neutral
Queria marcar uma consulta com o médico de família.I’d like to make an appointment with my GP.
B1polite médico de família is the family doctor at the health centre.
O apartamento é mobilado?Is the flat furnished?
B1neutral
Quantos meses de caução é preciso pagar?How many months’ deposit do you have to pay?
B1neutral
As despesas estão incluídas na renda?Are the bills included in the rent?
B1neutral
Para abrir uma conta bancária preciso do número de contribuinte.To open a bank account I need my tax number.
B1neutral
Tirei a senha e estou à espera da minha vez.I’ve taken a ticket and I’m waiting my turn.
B1neutral
Queria fazer uma marcação para renovar o cartão.I’d like to make an appointment to renew my card.
B1polite
Falta-me o comprovativo de morada. Posso trazê-lo amanhã?I’m missing proof of address. Can I bring it tomorrow?
B1neutral
Tenho de preencher este formulário?Do I have to fill in this form?
B1neutral
Já fiz a transferência da caução.I’ve already transferred the deposit.
B1neutral
Onde fica o centro de saúde mais perto?Where is the nearest health centre?
B1neutral
Para trabalhar precisas de um número da segurança social.To work you need a social security number.
B1neutral
Há uma avaria no esquentador; quando é que alguém pode vir?The water heater has broken down; when can someone come?
B1neutral
Escrevo-lhes para reclamar a devolução da caução.I am writing to request the return of my deposit.
B2formal
Já passaram dois meses sem que a avaria tenha sido reparada.Two months have already passed without the fault being repaired.
B2formal
Se o senhorio respondesse aos e-mails, não teríamos de ir lá pessoalmente.If the landlord answered his emails, we wouldn’t have to go there in person.
B2neutral
Agradecia que me informasse sobre o estado do meu processo.I would be grateful if you could let me know the status of my case.
B2formal
Segundo o contrato, as reparações maiores ficam a cargo do senhorio.Under the contract, major repairs are the landlord’s responsibility.
B2formal

What matters here

You need your tax number, the número de contribuinte, for almost everything — the tenancy agreement, the bank, often even on a receipt when you go shopping.
número de contribuinte
In many offices you take a ticket, the senha, and wait until it is called.
Some errands need an appointment first, a marcação.
senhamarcação
In offices you speak in the third person:
Podia dizer-me…? is never wrong.
Podia dizer-me…?
Rent is renda, a deposit caução; the landlord is the senhorio.
rendacauçãosenhorio

Quick quiz

6 questions on the words and sentences of this field. The word questions count in your progress like any other exercise.

Try it yourself

Read the meaning, say the sentence aloud in Portuguese, then open it to compare.

My name is Lukas Bauer: B, A, U, E, R.
Chamo-me Lukas Bauer: bê, á, u, é, erre.
How much is the rent a month?
Quanto é a renda por mês?
This flat is very bright.
Esta casa é muito luminosa.
I’m missing proof of address. Can I bring it tomorrow?
Falta-me o comprovativo de morada. Posso trazê-lo amanhã?

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Every sentence on this page was written for EveryLingua. There are no quotations from films, series, books or songs here, and no titles or names of artists — the page shows how people talk in this field, not what somebody once said.