🗣️💭❓

How to Say ‘Can I tell you something?’ in Portuguese

Posso dizer-te uma coisa?

POH-soo dee-ZEHR-tuh OO-muh KOY-sah

[POH-soo dee-ZEHR-tuh OO-muh KOY-sah]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: Asking permission first is a gentle, low-pressure way to open with a compliment. It gives the other person a moment to engage, or politely not.

Phrase Breakdown

Posso dizer-te

POH-soo dee-ZEHR-tuh

Can I tell you

'Posso' means 'I can'. '-te' means 'you' (informal) and attaches to the verb with a hyphen. In Portugal the final 'e' is almost silent: 'dizer-t'.

Example

Posso dizer-te um segredo?

Can I tell you a secret?

Words in this phrase

Posso

[POH-soo]

can I / may I

Used to ask permission or possibility politely.

Example

Pergunto "Posso pagar em dinheiro?" antes de tirar as notas.

I ask "Can I pay in cash?" before taking out the notes.

dizer-te

[dee-ZEHR-tuh]

to tell you

Verb 'dizer' (to say/tell) with the informal pronoun 'te' (to you) attached.

Example

Quero dizer-te a verdade.

I want to tell you the truth.

uma coisa?

OO-muh KOY-sah

something?

'Coisa' literally means 'thing'. 'Uma coisa' is the natural way to say 'something' here. Say it 'koy-za'.

Example

Esqueci-me de uma coisa.

I forgot something.

Words in this phrase

uma

[OO-muh]

a / one (feminine)

The feminine singular indefinite article, used before feminine nouns like 'mesa'.

Example

Ao chegar, pedimos Uma mesa para dois.

When arriving, we ask for 'A table' for two.

coisa

[KOY-sah]

thing

An item or object, used to refer to any non-specific item in conversation.

Example

Há alguma coisa que você precisa?

Is there anything you need?

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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