Portuguese at a Brazilian Pharmacy: Describe a Symptom and Ask for Help — Practice

Describe what you feel in simple terms

Start with estou com (I have / I’m experiencing) for many temporary symptoms. For a general concern, estou sentindo… lets you explain what you are feeling without needing a technical diagnosis.

Be specific about when it started and whether you need help understanding a label. If symptoms are serious or urgent, seek appropriate professional care rather than relying on a language phrase or over-the-counter suggestion.

Ask where something is and clarify directions

Many pharmacies organize products by type, but the exact layout varies. Ask where an item is instead of assuming that a product has the same name or formulation you know from home.

When someone explains instructions, repeat the key details back or ask them to write them down. This is especially useful for dosage, timing, warnings, and product names.

Remember: Use Portuguese to describe your concern and ask questions. A pharmacist or clinician should confirm what product is suitable and how to use it.

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.

1. I’ve had a headache since yesterday.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou com dor de cabeça desde ontem.

2. I have a cough and a sore throat.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou com tosse e dor de garganta.

3. Could you help me understand this package?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você pode me ajudar a entender esta embalagem?

4. Where can I find bandages?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Onde encontro curativos?

5. Could you repeat that more slowly, please?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode repetir mais devagar, por favor?

6. Could you write the name down for me?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você pode escrever o nome para mim?

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 Portuguese to describe your concern and ask questions. A pharmacist or clinician should confirm what product is suitable and how to use it.

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 Portuguese at a Brazilian Pharmacy: Describe a Symptom and Ask for Help 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.