Por favor
poor fah-VOR
How to say itPart of: Please & sorry
“Please.”
Por favor is please, everywhere in Brazil: a coffee, the bill, a favour. Por gentileza (“if you would be so kind”) is the polite, slightly formal version you hear in shops and on the phone. Brazilians often soften a request instead of adding please: você pode…? (can you…?), dá pra…? (is it possible to…?). Uma água, por favor is complete and polite.
Looking for please, sorry and excuse me? Please and sorry in Portuguese: the guide
EverydayAll Brazilalso: pfv, pf, por gentilezaReply: Pois não!
How Brazilians use it
“A conta, por favor.”
“The bill, please.”
At a restaurant.
“Um café, por favor.”
“A coffee, please.”
At a counter.
“Por gentileza, o senhor pode aguardar um minuto?”
“If you would, could you hold on a minute, sir?”
Polite; shops and the phone.
“Me manda o endereço, pfv?”
“Send me the address, please?”
Typed; pfv is por favor.
In a real book
“— Faz favor de me dizer que horas são?”How to reply
Similar expressions
- Por gentilezaPlease, a shade more formal.
- Você pode…?Can you…? The softened ask Brazilians prefer.
- Dá pra…?Is it possible to…? Casual.
- Obrigado / obrigadaWhat comes after: thank you.
Brazil vs Portugal
Portugal says por favor too, but faz favor and se faz favor are at least as common, in shops above all. Por gentileza is Brazilian.
Common mistakes
- Don’t say por favor with a Spanish r at the end: it is poor fah-VOR, the final r soft or barely there in most of Brazil.
- Don’t say faz favor in Brazil: that is Portugal (and the old books); Brazil says por favor.
- Don’t think a request without por favor is rude: você pode me ajudar? is already polite.
Frequently asked questions
What does por favor mean in Portuguese?
Please: literally “as a favour”. It is the same in Portuguese and Spanish, said poor fah-VOR in Brazil, and goes at the end of a request: um café, por favor.
How do you say please in Brazilian Portuguese?
Por favor, or por gentileza to be a little more formal. Often Brazilians soften the verb instead: você pode…? (can you…?) or dá pra…? (is it possible to…?).
What does por gentileza mean?
“If you would be so kind”: please, a shade more formal than por favor. Shops, receptions and phone lines use it: por gentileza, aguarde.
What does pfv mean in a text?
Pfv (or pf) is por favor typed short: please. Me liga, pfv is “call me, please”.