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How to Say ‘The waiting list’ in Portuguese

A lista de espera

ah LEESH-tah duh shPEH-rah

[ah LEESH-tah duh shPEH-rah]

Phrase Breakdown

A lista

ah LEESH-tah

The list

The 's' before 't' sounds like 'sh': a LEESH-ta.

Example

A lista de compras.

The shopping list.

Words in this phrase

A

[ah]

the (feminine singular)

Same article "a" used before a feminine noun; often unstressed in speech.

Example

A estação é ali à direita.

The station is right there on the right.

lista

[LEESH-tah]

list

A series of names or items.

Example

Fiz uma lista de compras.

I made a shopping list.

de espera

duh shPEH-rah

of waiting

Together with the first part this makes 'waiting list'. 'De espera' blends into 'desh-PE-ra'.

Example

Estou na sala de espera.

I'm in the waiting room.

Words in this phrase

de

[duh]

of

A preposition meaning "of" or "for," depending on context.

Example

Falámos de carreira durante o intervalo.

We talked about career matters during the break.

espera

[shPEH-rah]

waiting

Noun meaning wait; 'lista de espera' is a waiting list.

Example

A espera foi longa.

The wait was long.

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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