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How to Say ‘Excuse me, but the meter says fifteen euros.’ in Portuguese

Desculpe, mas o taxímetro diz quinze euros.

desh-KOOL-puh mahsh oo tak-SEE-meh-troo DEESH KEEN-z EH-oo-roosh

[desh-KOOL-puh mahsh oo tak-SEE-meh-troo DEESH KEEN-z EH-oo-roosh]

Phrase Breakdown

Desculpe,

desh-KOOL-puh

Excuse me / sorry

A polite form of 'desculpar' (to excuse). Say it 'dush-KOOLP', with the final 'e' almost silent.

Example

Desculpe, onde é a estação?

Excuse me, where is the station?

Words in this phrase

Desculpe

[desh-KOOL-puh]

sorry / excuse me

A polite way to apologize or get someone's attention.

Example

Desculpe, onde fica a estação?

Excuse me, where is the station?

mas o taxímetro

mahsh oo tak-SEE-meh-troo

but the meter

'Mas' means 'but'. Link it smoothly into 'o taxímetro': 'mahz oo tak-SEE-meh-troo'.

Example

Mas o taxímetro não funciona.

But the meter doesn't work.

Words in this phrase

mas

[mahsh]

but

Used to introduce a condition or playful twist, often teasing in a flirty way.

Example

Mas não penses que me convences assim tão facilmente.

But don’t think you can convince me that easily.

[oo]

the

A masculine singular definite article used before nouns.

Example

O prazer de participar foi grande.

The pleasure of taking part was great.

taxímetro

[tak-SEE-meh-troo]

taxi meter

Device that calculates a taxi fare.

Example

O taxímetro marca dez euros.

The meter shows ten euros.

diz quinze euros.

DEESH KEEN-z EH-oo-roosh

says fifteen euros.

Use this to state what the meter shows. 'Quinze euros' is 'KEEN-zeh-OO-roosh'.

Example

A conta diz quinze euros.

The bill says fifteen euros.

Words in this phrase

diz

[DEESH]

says / shows

Third-person form of 'dizer' (to say); here, what a device displays.

Example

O relógio diz três horas.

The clock says three o'clock.

quinze

[KEEN-z]

fifteen

The number 15.

Example

Tenho quinze minutos.

I have fifteen minutes.

euros

[EH-oo-roosh]

Euros

The currency used in many European countries including Portugal.

Example

O preço é cinco euros.

The price is five euros.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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