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How to Say ‘By the window’ in Portuguese

Ao pé da janela

ow PEH dah zhah-NEL-ah

[ow PEH dah zhah-NEL-ah]

💬 Usage Tip: ao pé de literally means "at the foot of", but it's the everyday way to say "next to". Here de + a becomes da, just as ao pé do bar means "by the bar".

Phrase Breakdown

Ao pé

ow PEH

next to / near

A common European Portuguese expression for 'beside'. 'Ao' sounds like 'ow' and 'pé' has an open 'é'.

Example

Moro ao pé da escola.

I live near the school.

Words in this phrase

[ow]

to the / at the

Contraction of 'a' + 'o'; common in location expressions.

Example

O elevador fica Mesmo ao lado do restaurante, ao lado da receção.

The lift is right next to the restaurant, next to the reception.

pé

[PEH]

next to (in 'ao pé de')

Literally 'foot'; 'ao pé de' means near or next to.

Example

Moro ao pé do rio.

I live near the river.

da janela

dah zhah-NEL-ah

of the window

'Da' is 'de + a' (of the). In 'janela' the first 'a' is reduced and the 'e' is open: 'juh-NEH-luh'.

Example

A luz da janela é bonita.

The light from the window is beautiful.

Words in this phrase

[dah]

of the

Contraction of de + a, used before a feminine singular noun.

Example

Em «Da» nossa conversa, a contração soa natural em português.

In “of our conversation,” the contraction sounds natural in Portuguese.

janela

[zhah-NEL-ah]

window

Used when requesting a table by the window in a restaurant.

Example

Gostava de uma mesa junto à janela.

I would like a table by the window.

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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