Plan Your Holiday - Language Used In Madeira
An Introduction to the Portuguese Language Spoken in Madeira
Portuguese, the official language of Madeira, is the mother-tongue of approximately 200 million people worldwide. As well as the Portuguese mainland and the Madeiran Archipelago, the language is widely spoken in Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde and Macao (China). Thus, Brazil is the largest Portuguese speaking community by population size. However, the version used in Brazil is somewhat different to that used in Madeira. There are differences in vocabulary, expressions, phrases, words and pronunciation. In addition, there are many variations in spelling between the two version. But, in general, each is easily understood by the other.
The Portuguese language is also used in Cape Verde. Here the locals speak a version of Portuguese creole. Cape Verde is now independent from its former colonial power.
In China, Macao has trading links with Portugal that stretch back to 1535. The region was subsequently settled by the Portuguese in 1557. By 1887 Portugal had established for itself the right to govern Macao and it became a colony of the European power. Following a succession of treaties between differing governing administrations of both Portugal and China, Macao was officially ceded back to the Chinese mainland in December 1999. Not surprisingly, Cantonese is also widely spoken and it has become the preferred language.
In the United States, it is estimated that the number of Portuguese speakers exceeds 400,000. Also, Galician a Spanish dialect, is spoken by a large number of the inhabitants of north west Spain.
When in Madeira, you will find that English is widely spoken. Generally, the younger the local, the more likely they are to speak English.
You should have no trouble shopping, even the supermarket checkout operators invariably speak English. All tourist restaurants and cafes have multi-lingual menus. So, if you are feeling adventurous, you could order your meal in English, German, Swedish, French - or, even in Portuguese! You will certainly find that the hotel reception staff are multi-lingual. Likewise, all attractions and entertainment that is geared towards the holiday-maker is also staffed by friendly English speakers.
The only areas where you may encounter problems in Funchal are at the bus stations, bus ticket offices and cafes and shops aimed at local trade. Outside of Funchal, you are more likely to have to communicate with native speakers but, as we ourselves have already found, the locals in the rural regions of Madeira more than make up in friendliness. Anyway, check out our quick guide to basic Madeiran words and phrases below. Your hosts will appreciate anyone who makes an effort at speaking a little Portuguese.
Basic Madeiran Words and Phrases:
| English: | Portuguese (pronunciation) |
|---|---|
| hello | olá (ol-lah) |
| good morning | bom dia (bawm dee-er) |
| good afternoon | boa tarde (boa-er tard) |
| good evening / good night | boa noite (boa-er noyt) |
| goodbye | adeus (er-de-oosh) |
| yes | sim (seem) |
| no | não (nawm) |
| please | se faz favor (ser fash fer-voar) |
| thank you (spoken by male) | obrigado (oo-bri-gar-doo) |
| thank you (spoken by female) | obrigada (oo-bri-gar-der) |
| excuse me (to attract attention) | desculpe (dish-koolp) |
| excuse me (sorry) | perdão (per-dawm) |
| do you speak English | fala inglês? (fa-ler een-glaysh) |
Getting About:
| English: | Portuguese (pronunciation) |
|---|---|
| airport | aeroporto (ae-ro-por-to) |
| bus | autocarro (ow-to-ka-rroo) |
| bus stop | paragem de autocarros (per-ra-zhaym der ow-to-ka-rroosh) |
| bus station | estação de autocarros (ish-ter-sawm der ow-to-ka-rroosh) |
| taxi | táxi (tak-si) |
| ferry | balsa (bal-ser) |
| car rental | aluguer de carros (er-loo-gehr der ka-rroosh) |
| a ticket to | um bilhete para (oom bi-llyayt per-rer) |
| single (ticket) | ida (ee-der) |
| return (ticket) | ide e volta (ee-der ee vol-ter) |
| where is? | onde está? (ond eesh-tah) |
| How do I get to? | como se vai para? (koo-moo ser vigh per-rer) |
When Shopping:
| English: | Portuguese (pronunciation) |
|---|---|
| how much is that? | quanto é? (kwan-too eh) |
| more than that | mais do que isso (mighsh doo ker ee-soo) |
| less than that | menos do que isso (may-noosh-sh doo ker ee-soo) |
| not that one | esse não (ayss nawm) |
| one like that | um como esse (oom koo-moo ayss) |
| 1 (masculine) / 1 (feminine) | um / uma (omm / omm-er) |
| 2 (masculine) / 2 (feminine) | dois / duas (doysh / doo-ush) |
| 3 | três traysh) |
| euros | euros (ayoo-rosh) |
| nothing else | mais nada (mighsh na-da) |
