Please – Por favor You can add “por favor” (please) on to the end of a sentence to make it more polite. For example, if you want to ask for the bill in a restaurant, you can say to the moço (waiter): “Você pode trazer a conta, por favor?” (Can you bring the bill please?)

In Lisbon, and throughout Portugal, the standard and most polite way to say "please" is "Por favor" (pronounced: pohr fah-VOHR). You may also hear the more formal or traditional "Se faz favor" (pronounced: se fahsh fah-VOHR), which is frequently used by waitstaff or in service environments. Portuguese etiquette places a high value on these small pleasantries, and using them—along with "Obrigado" (if you are male) or "Obrigada" (if you are female) for "thank you"—will go a long way in your interactions with locals. When ordering a coffee or a pastel de nata, adding a simple "por favor" at the end of your sentence is the standard mark of respect. While many people in Lisbon speak excellent English, making the effort to use basic Portuguese polite expressions is highly appreciated and will often result in a warmer, more welcoming response from the residents of this historic capital city in 2026.