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How to Say ‘How can I help you?’ in Portuguese

Diga, se faz favor.

DEE-gah seh fahsh fa-VOR

[DEE-gah seh fahsh fa-VOR]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: Portuguese businesses often answer the phone this way, or just with Diga?. Literally it means "Say, please". It sounds blunt in English but is perfectly polite here.

Phrase Breakdown

Diga,

DEE-gah

Go ahead / Tell me,

This is the polite imperative of 'dizer', often used by staff to invite you to speak. Say 'DEE-guh'.

Example

Diga, o que deseja?

Go ahead, what would you like?

Words in this phrase

Diga

[DEE-gah]

go ahead / tell me

Polite command form of 'dizer' (to say); used to invite someone to speak.

Example

Diga, em que posso ajudar?

Go ahead, how can I help?

se faz favor.

seh fahsh fa-VOR

please.

This is the typical European Portuguese 'please'. 'Faz' ends in a 'sh' sound: 'suh fash fuh-VOR'.

Example

Um café, se faz favor.

A coffee, please.

Words in this phrase

[seh]

(part of 'se faz favor')

Reflexive/impersonal particle in the polite phrase meaning 'please'.

Example

Um café, se faz favor.

A coffee, please.

faz

[fahsh]

(part of 'se faz favor')

Third-person form of 'fazer' (to do/make), used in the polite phrase 'se faz favor'.

Example

Uma água, se faz favor.

A water, please.

favor

[fa-VOR]

favor

Used in 'se faz favor', the European Portuguese way to say 'please'.

Example

Um café, se faz favor.

A coffee, 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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