At a Brazilian Tailor: Ask for Clothing Alterations in Portuguese — Practice

Describe the part of the garment to change

A tailor is a costureiro or costureira. Use ajustar when you want something altered, fazer a bainha for hemming, and encurtar to make a piece shorter. Point to the garment and name the sleeve, waist, or trouser leg so the request is specific.

Try on the garment if the tailor asks, then explain where it feels loose or long. Ask the professional to mark the change and confirm that you agree before any work begins.

Confirm the price and pickup time

Before leaving the garment, ask how much the alteration will cost and when it should be ready. Prazo means the expected time frame. If the tailor gives you a collection date, repeat it back to confirm.

Fit preferences can be personal, so describe the result you want rather than relying on a single adjective. For example, ask for a slightly shorter hem or a looser fit, then confirm the measurement with the tailor.

Remember: Name the garment and alteration, agree on how it should fit, and confirm the price and collection date before leaving 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’d like to have these trousers adjusted at the waist.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Queria ajustar esta calça na cintura.

2. Could you hem this skirt?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode fazer a bainha desta saia?

3. The sleeves turned out too long.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   As mangas ficaram compridas.

4. How much is the alteration?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quanto fica o ajuste?

5. When can I pick up the clothing?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quando posso buscar a roupa?

6. Could you leave it a little longer?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode deixar um pouco mais comprida?

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.

Name the garment and alteration, agree on how it should fit, and confirm the price and collection date before leaving 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 At a Brazilian Tailor: Ask for Clothing Alterations in Portuguese 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.