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How to Say ‘You can sit down’ in Portuguese

Pode sentar-se

POH-d sen-TAR-seh

[POH-d sen-TAR-seh]

💬 Usage Tip: In Portugal, little words like se usually come after the verb, joined by a hyphen: sentar-se, levantar-se "to get up". Brazilians tend to put them before the verb instead.

Phrase Breakdown

Pode

[POH-d]

can / may

A form of 'poder', used to ask if something is possible or allowed.

Example

Pode ficar perto da janela?

Can it be near the window?

sentar-se

[sen-TAR-seh]

sit down

Reflexive verb: to sit oneself down.

Example

Quer sentar-se aqui?

Do you want to sit here?

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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