How to Say ‘Could You Please…?’ in Portuguese: Pode or Poderia — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use você pode for a direct, friendly request
Você pode…? asks whether someone can do something and is common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. Add por favor to soften the request, especially when asking a stranger or service worker.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você pode me ajudar, por favor? | Could you help me, please? |
| Pode fechar a janela? | Could you close the window? |
Use poderia for a more tentative tone
Poderia is the conditional form and often makes a request sound more tentative or formal. It does not automatically guarantee extra politeness; your tone and relationship still matter.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você poderia repetir mais devagar? | Could you repeat that more slowly? |
| Poderia trazer a conta, por favor? | Could you bring the check, please? |
Put the request into a natural context
Brazilian speakers frequently omit você when the context is clear. At a counter or café, por favor and a friendly tone can make a short request natural without a long formula.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Pode me dizer onde fica a estação? | Could you tell me where the station is? |
| Você poderia falar um pouco mais alto? | Could you speak a little louder? |
Remember: Use pode for an everyday request and poderia when you want a more tentative or formal phrasing.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Could you help me, please?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você pode me ajudar, por favor?
Could you close the window?
Show a Portuguese answer
Pode fechar a janela?
Could you repeat that more slowly?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você poderia repetir mais devagar?
Could you bring the check, please?
Show a Portuguese answer
Poderia trazer a conta, por favor?
Could you tell me where the station is?
Show a Portuguese answer
Pode me dizer onde fica a estação?
Could you speak a little louder?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você poderia falar um pouco mais alto?
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use pode for an everyday request and poderia when you want a more tentative or formal phrasing.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say ‘Could You Please…?’ in Portuguese: Pode or Poderia? lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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