Portuguese for house viewings
For anyone looking for a holiday home in Portugal or a house to move to: arrange a viewing, ask about damp, the roof and the water as you look round, request the documents, talk about the price politely and go through the steps from preliminary contract to escritura with the imobiliária, the estate agent. Every phrase is in European Portuguese, with an English-friendly pronunciation.
Pronunciation in six rules
European Portuguese sounds different from how it looks: many vowels are swallowed. Once you know these six rules, you can say words like caderneta predial or certidão permanente so that people understand you.
Swallowed vowels
Unstressed vowels are short or almost disappear. A final e is usually not heard at all, unstressed o sounds like ‘oo’ and unstressed a like the ‘a’ in ‘about’: telhado (roof) = ‘tuh-LYAH-doo’, rede (mains) = ‘RREHD’, moradia (house) = ‘moo-ruh-DEE-uh’.
s becomes sh
At the end of a syllable s sounds like sh: escritura = ‘ush-kree-TOO-ruh’, painéis (panels) = ‘pye-NAYSH’. Before b, d, g, l, m, n, r or v it is softer, like the ‘s’ in ‘measure’. Between two vowels s is a ‘z’: casa = ‘KAH-zuh’.
Nasal vowels
ão is a nasal ‘ow’, as if you said ‘now’ through your nose: certidão = ‘sur-tee-DOW~’. A final em is a nasal ‘ay’: tem (has) = ‘tay~’. An m or n after a vowel usually just makes the vowel nasal: com (with) = ‘kon~’.
nh, lh and ç
nh is the ny in ‘canyon’ (engenheiro = ‘en~-zhuh-NYAY-roo’), lh is the lli in ‘million’ (telhado), ç is a plain s (orçamento (budget) = ‘or-suh-MEN~-too’).
j, g and z
j, and g before e and i, sound like the s in ‘measure’: já (already) = ‘ZHAH’, energético = ‘ee-nur-ZHEH-tee-koo’. z is an English z, but at the end of a word it becomes ‘sh’: vez (time) = ‘VESH’.
The r
At the start of a word and as rr, r is throaty, much like a French r: remodelada (renovated) = ‘rruh-moo-duh-LAH-duh’, arranjado (repaired). Everywhere else it is a single quick tap of the tongue: preço (price) = ‘PREH-soo’.
In the transcriptions below the stressed syllable is in CAPITALS, syllables are joined with hyphens, words are separated by spaces and ‘·’ separates sentences. ‘uh’ is a short, weak vowel as in ‘about’, ‘~’ after a vowel means it is said through the nose (‘dow~’, ‘tay~’, ‘kon~’), ‘zh’ is the s in ‘measure’ and ‘rr’ the throaty r. The transcription is an approximation; the speech recognition in LingoTrip listens more closely.
Arranging a viewing
- Bom dia, estou a ligar por causa do anúncio da moradia em Tavira.boh~ DEE-uh, ush-TOH uh lee-GAR poor KOW-zuh doo uh-NOON~-syoo duh moo-ruh-DEE-uh ay~ tuh-VEE-ruhGood morning, I'm calling about the advert for the house in Tavira.
- A moradia ainda está disponível?uh moo-ruh-DEE-uh uh-EEN~-duh ush-TAH dish-poo-NEE-velIs the house still available?
- Podíamos marcar uma visita para sábado de manhã?poo-DEE-uh-moosh mar-KAR OO-muh vee-ZEE-tuh PAH-ruh SAH-buh-doo duh muh-NYAH~Could we arrange a viewing for Saturday morning?
- Estou a aprender português. Pode repetir, por favor?ush-TOH uh uh-pren~-DEHR poor-too-GESH · POHD rruh-puh-TEER, poor fuh-VORI'm learning Portuguese. Could you say that again, please?
Questions as you look round
- De que ano é a casa? Já foi remodelada?duh kuh UH-noo EH uh KAH-zuh · ZHAH foy rruh-moo-duh-LAH-duhWhat year was the house built? Has it been renovated?
- Há sinais de bolor ou infiltrações no inverno?AH see-NAISH duh boo-LOR oh een~-feel-truh-SOY~SH noo een~-VEHR-nooAre there any signs of mould or water getting in during the winter?
- Quando foi arranjado o telhado pela última vez?KWAN~-doo foy uh-rran~-ZHAH-doo oo tuh-LYAH-doo PEH-luh OOL-tee-muh VESHWhen was the roof last repaired?
- A casa tem isolamento? Como é aquecida no inverno?uh KAH-zuh tay~ ee-zoo-luh-MEN~-too · KOH-moo EH uh-keh-SEE-duh noo een~-VEHR-nooIs the house insulated? How is it heated in winter?
- Os painéis solares ficam com a casa?oosh pye-NAYSH soo-LAH-rush FEE-kow~ kon~ uh KAH-zuhDo the solar panels stay with the house?
- A água vem da rede pública ou de um furo?uh AH-gwuh vay~ duh RREHD POO-blee-kuh oh duh oon~ FOO-rooDoes the water come from the mains or from a borehole?
- Tem saneamento ou fossa séptica?tay~ suh-nyuh-MEN~-too oh FOH-suh SEP-tee-kuhIs it on mains drainage, or does it have a septic tank?
A moradia is a detached house, an apartamento a flat and a quinta a property with land. A furo is a borehole, a poço a dug well.
Documents and running costs
- Pode enviar-me a caderneta predial e a certidão permanente?POHD en~-vee-AR-muh uh kuh-dur-NEH-tuh pruh-DYAL ee uh sur-tee-DOW~ pur-muh-NEN~TCould you send me the tax record and the land registry extract?
- A área da caderneta corresponde ao que está construído?uh AH-ryuh duh kuh-dur-NEH-tuh koo-rush-PON~D ow kuh ush-TAH kon~sh-troo-EE-dooDoes the area in the tax record match what has actually been built?
- A piscina e o anexo estão licenciados?uh peesh-SEE-nuh ee oo uh-NEK-soo ush-TOW~ lee-sen~-SYAH-dooshAre the pool and the outbuilding approved?
- Já tem certificado energético? Qual é a classe?ZHAH tay~ sur-tee-fee-KAH-doo ee-nur-ZHEH-tee-koo · KWAL EH uh KLAHSIs there an energy certificate yet? What rating does it have?
- Quanto se paga de IMI por ano?KWAN~-too suh PAH-guh duh EE-mee poor UH-nooHow much property tax do you pay a year?
- Há quotas do condomínio em atraso ou obras aprovadas?AH KWOH-tush doo kon~-doo-MEE-nyoo ay~ uh-TRAH-zoo oh OH-brush uh-proo-VAH-dushAre any service charges outstanding, or has any building work been agreed?
The caderneta predial is the property's tax record with its area, use and taxable value, the certidão permanente the land registry extract. IMI is the annual property tax and condomínio the service charge for a block or development.
Talking about the price politely
- Há alguma margem para negociar?AH al-GOO-muh MAR-zhay~ PAH-ruh nuh-goo-SYARIs there any room for negotiation?
- Há quanto tempo está à venda?AH KWAN~-too TEM~-poo ush-TAH ah VEN~-duhHow long has it been on the market?
- Gostamos muito da casa, mas está acima do nosso orçamento.goosh-TUH-moosh MWEEN~-too duh KAH-zuh, mush ush-TAH uh-SEE-muh doo NOH-soo or-suh-MEN~-tooWe like the house very much, but it's above our budget.
- O senhor acha que o proprietário aceitaria uma proposta de duzentos e oitenta mil?oo suh-NYOR AH-shuh kuh oo proo-pryeh-TAH-ryoo uh-say-tuh-REE-uh OO-muh proo-POSH-tuh duh doo-ZEN~-tooz ee oy-TEN~-tuh MEELDo you think the owner would accept an offer of 280,000 euros?
- Os móveis estão incluídos no preço?oozh MOH-vaysh ush-TOW~ een~-kloo-EE-doosh noo PREH-sooIs the furniture included in the price?
Offer, CPCV and escritura
- Já pedimos o NIF, ainda estamos à espera.ZHAH puh-DEE-mooz oo NEEF, uh-EEN~-duh ush-TUH-mooz ah ush-PEH-ruhWe've already applied for the tax number and are still waiting for it.
- Queremos fazer uma proposta por escrito.kuh-REH-moosh fuh-ZEHR OO-muh proo-POSH-tuh poor ush-KREE-tooWe'd like to make a written offer.
- Qual seria o valor do sinal no contrato-promessa?KWAL suh-REE-uh oo vuh-LOR doo see-NAL noo kon~-TRAH-too proo-MEH-suhHow much would the deposit be in the preliminary contract (CPCV)?
- O nosso advogado vai rever o contrato antes de assinarmos.oo NOH-soo ad-voo-GAH-doo vye rruh-VEHR oo kon~-TRAH-too AN~-tush duh uh-see-NAR-mooshOur lawyer will review the contract before we sign.
- A escritura vai ser no notário ou na Casa Pronta?uh ush-kree-TOO-ruh vye SEHR noo noo-TAH-ryoo oh nuh KAH-zuh PRON~-tuhWill the deed be signed at a notary's or through Casa Pronta?
- Quando é que temos de pagar o IMT?KWAN~-doo EH kuh TEH-moosh duh puh-GAR oo ee-em-TEHWhen do we have to pay the transfer tax (IMT)?
You won't get far without a NIF, the Portuguese tax number. You can get one at a tax office (Finanças), through the citizens' portal or through a lawyer with a power of attorney. The documents should be checked by your own advogado or solicitador, not by the agent.
Following up by phone and WhatsApp
- Escrevo-lhe por causa da moradia que vimos no sábado.ush-KREH-voo-lyuh poor KOW-zuh duh moo-ruh-DEE-uh kuh VEE-moosh noo SAH-buh-dooI'm writing about the house we saw on Saturday.
- O senhor já conseguiu falar com o proprietário?oo suh-NYOR ZHAH kon~-suh-GEE-oo fuh-LAR kon~ oo proo-pryeh-TAH-ryooHave you managed to speak to the owner yet?
- Podemos voltar com um engenheiro para ver o telhado?poo-DEH-moosh vol-TAR kon~ oon~ en~-zhuh-NYAY-roo PAH-ruh VEHR oo tuh-LYAH-dooCould we come back with a surveyor to look at the roof?
- Muito obrigado, confirmo amanhã.MWEEN~-too oh-bree-GAH-doo, kon~-FEER-moo ah-muh-NYAH~Thank you very much, I'll confirm tomorrow. (Women say obrigada.)
Good to know
O senhor, not você
Agents address clients as o senhor or a senhora, or simply use the verb on its own: Pode enviar-me …?, could you send me …? The você taught in Brazilian courses can sound abrupt in Portugal. Wait until you are offered tu.
Rústico or urbano
In the countryside many plots are registered as rústico, meaning agricultural land. As a rule you may not build on it, even if a ruin stands there. Pools, terraces and an anexo are also often missing from the documents. Compare the tax record, the land registry and the house before you make an offer.
The words on the way to the escritura
The proposta is your offer, the CPCV (contrato-promessa de compra e venda) the preliminary contract with a deposit (sinal) of usually 10 to 30 per cent. If you pull out without a valid reason you lose the sinal; if the seller pulls out, they repay you double. The escritura is signed before a notary or through Casa Pronta, and you pay the transfer tax IMT beforehand. Anything agreed on WhatsApp belongs in the contract.
Look closely in winter
Many Portuguese houses are barely insulated and have no heating, so in winter it gets damp inside. As you look round, watch for stains on ceilings and in corners, freshly painted patches and a musty smell, and budget for insulation and heating.
How buying a house in Portugal works
Our sister project Heimweit has a step-by-step guide to buying property in Portugal: the process, the costs and the usual pitfalls.
A course for exactly your house purchase
A phrasebook can only guess what you're planning. In LingoTrip you tell it: viewing a holiday home in the Algarve, buying a quinta in the Alentejo, moving to the Silver Coast with the family. LingoTrip builds a course around exactly those conversations, from the first call to the imobiliária to the escritura, with audio, speech recognition and spaced review until the viewing.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google PlayFAQ
Won't the agent speak English anyway?
In the Algarve, Lisbon and Porto, often yes. Sellers, neighbours, tradespeople, the municipality and many agents in the countryside, on the other hand, usually speak only Portuguese. If you can say a few phrases to them, you find out more about the house.
Are these phrases enough for the escritura?
No. If you don't speak Portuguese, you need an interpreter at the signing or a lawyer acting for you with a power of attorney. The phrases here help with viewings, talking to the agent and following up.
How long until I can manage a viewing in Portuguese?
For the phrases on this page, one to three weeks with a few minutes a day is enough. Understanding the answers takes longer, because European Portuguese swallows so many vowels. A course that practises exactly your viewings is a good start.
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