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How to Say ‘Do you have a minute, please?’ in Portuguese

Tem um minuto, por favor?

tayng oom mee-NOO-too poor fah-VOR

[tayng oom mee-NOO-too poor fah-VOR]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: A gentle, standard way to approach a manager in Portugal. Asking for a moment first, rather than launching straight into a request, is expected.

Phrase Breakdown

Tem um minuto,

tayng oom mee-NOO-too

Do you have a minute,

The formal 'tem' (you have) with 'um minuto' (a minute). Link 'tem um' into one nasal flow.

Example

Tem um minuto agora?

Do you have a minute now?

Words in this phrase

Tem

[tayng]

you have (formal)

Form of 'ter' (to have) used with 'você' or the polite third person to address a stranger.

Example

O senhor tem um carro bonito.

You have a nice car, sir.

[oom]

a / one

Masculine singular indefinite article used before café.

Example

Um café pode ser uma boa ideia para conversar.

A coffee can be a good idea for talking.

minuto

[mee-NOO-too]

minute

A unit of time equal to sixty seconds; masculine noun.

Example

Espera um minuto, por favor.

Wait a minute, please.

por favor?

poor fah-VOR

please?

The standard 'please'. In Portugal the final 'r' is light, and the 'o' in 'por' is short, almost 'pur'.

Example

Um café, por favor.

A coffee, please.

Words in this phrase

por

[poor]

please (part of 'por favor')

Here it combines with 'favor' to form 'please'.

Example

Um café, por favor.

A coffee, please.

favor

[fah-VOR]

please (part of 'por favor')

Literally 'favour'; with 'por' it means 'please'.

Example

Ajude-me, por favor.

Help me, please.

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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