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How to Say ‘I'd like to surprise my wife’ in Portuguese

Gostava de fazer uma surpresa à minha mulher

goosh-TAH-vuh duh fa-ZEHR OO-muh soor-PREH-zah ah MEE-nyah moo-LYEHR

[goosh-TAH-vuh duh fa-ZEHR OO-muh soor-PREH-zah ah MEE-nyah moo-LYEHR]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: mulher is the normal, warm way to say "my wife" in Portugal. esposa sounds stiff or formal in everyday speech.

Phrase Breakdown

Gostava de fazer

goosh-TAH-vuh duh fa-ZEHR

I would like to make / do

'Gostava' is the polite way to say 'I would like' in Portugal. The unstressed 'e' in 'de' almost disappears: 'gush-TA-vuh d' fuh-ZER'.

Example

Gostava de fazer uma reserva.

I would like to make a reservation.

Words in this phrase

Gostava

[goosh-TAH-vuh]

I would like

Polite conditional form of gostar, used to express a wish or preference in a soft, professional way.

Example

Gostava de falar consigo outra vez.

I would like to speak with you again.

[duh]

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

Example

Falámos de carreira durante o intervalo.

We talked about career matters during the break.

fazer

[fa-ZEHR]

to do

To perform an action or task.

Example

Preciso fazer o trabalho.

I need to do the work.

uma surpresa

OO-muh soor-PREH-zah

a surprise

'Fazer uma surpresa' means 'to surprise someone'. The 's' between vowels sounds like 'z': 'soor-PRE-zuh'.

Example

É uma surpresa!

It's a surprise!

Words in this phrase

uma

[OO-muh]

Feminine singular indefinite article before 'família'.

Example

Uma empresa pode ter uma cultura muito acolhedora.

A company can have a very welcoming culture.

surpresa

[soor-PREH-zah]

surprise

Something unexpected prepared for someone.

Example

A festa foi uma surpresa.

The party was a surprise.

à minha mulher

ah MEE-nyah moo-LYEHR

for my wife

'Mulher' means both 'woman' and 'wife'. 'À' is 'a' + 'a', meaning 'to the'. The final 'r' is light: 'moo-LYER'.

Example

Liguei à minha mulher.

I called my wife.

Words in this phrase

[ah]

Indicates direction, typically before a noun.

Example

Vou à escola.

I am going to school.

minha

[MEE-nyah]

Possessive adjective showing something belongs to the speaker.

Example

A minha experiência no evento foi positiva.

My experience at the event was positive.

mulher

[moo-LYEHR]

wife

Literally 'woman', but with a possessive it is the usual word for 'wife' in Portugal.

Example

A minha mulher é professora.

My wife is a teacher.

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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