Help and emergencies in Portuguese
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Portuguese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Portuguese phrases in this lesson
- Socorro!soh-KOH-roo
- Help!
- Chame um médicoSHAH-meh oom MEH-dee-koo
- Call a doctor
- A políciaah poh-LEE-syah
- Police
- A farmáciaah far-MAH-syah
- Pharmacy
- O hospitaloo osh-pee-TAL
- Hospital
- Estou perdido / Estou perdidaesh-TOH per-DEE-doo / esh-TOH per-DEE-dah
- I'm lost
- Não me sinto bemnown meh SEEN-too baym
- I don't feel well
- Foi roubadofoy roh-BAH-doo
- It was stolen
- É uma emergênciaeh OO-mah ee-mer-ZHEN-see-ah
- It's an emergency
- Deixe-me em pazDAY-sheh-meh aym PASH
- Leave me alone
The emergency cry for help. Shout it loudly and clearly. "Ajuda!" (ah-ZHOO-dah) is also used and understood.
"Chame" is the polite imperative of "chamar" (to call). In a serious emergency, call 112, the European emergency number that works across Portugal.
Portugal's national police force is the PSP in cities and GNR in rural areas. Both respond to 112. The word is easily recognized by English speakers.
Pharmacies are marked by a green cross. They are well stocked and pharmacists can advise on common ailments without a prescription for many medications.
Public hospitals in Portugal are called "hospitais públicos". EU citizens can use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for emergency treatment.
Match the ending to your gender: "perdido" for men, "perdida" for women. Pointing at a map or your phone helps enormously when saying this.
Clear and simple. A pharmacist or passerby will understand immediately. You can follow up with the body part: "dói-me o estômago" (my stomach hurts).
Use this at the police station when making a report. "Roubaram-me" (roh-BAH-rahm-meh) meaning "they stole from me" is also commonly used.
The emergency number is 112.
Literally "leave me in peace".