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How to Say ‘Down by the river’ in Portuguese

Ao pé do rio

ow PEH doo HREE-oo

[ow PEH doo HREE-oo]

💬 Usage Tip: ao pé de means "near" or "next to", even though it literally says "at the foot of". Here de + o merges into do: ao pé da estação "near the station".

Phrase Breakdown

Ao pé

ow PEH

Near / at the foot of

'Ao pé de' means 'next to' or 'near'. 'Ao' sounds like 'ow'.

Example

Fica ao pé da igreja.

It's near the church.

Words in this phrase

[ow]

to the

A + o: to the (masculine).

Example

Vou ao escritório.

I'm going to the office.

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.

do rio

doo HREE-oo

the river

'Do' is 'de' + 'o' and sounds like 'du'. The initial 'r' of 'rio' is strong and guttural: 'HREE-u'.

Example

A casa do rio.

The house by the river.

Words in this phrase

[doo]

of the

Contraction of 'de' + 'o'; 'precisar de' means to need.

Example

Gosto do metro.

I like the metro.

rio

[HREE-oo]

river

A natural stream of water; masculine noun.

Example

O rio Douro passa no Porto.

The Douro river passes through Porto.

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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