Portuguese Language curiosities

We think that there is a need to share some typical words from the Portuguese language, especially for the Lisbon area (yes, sometimes expressions can change from a place to another!).

Once staying in Lisbon, you can not have the possibility to use any other words except for the following, if you want to talk about these. 

Tascas – this word refers to specific tiny restaurants, typically portuguese, often family run restaurants.
There are specific Portuguese foods and the menu is affixed on the tiled walls or even the windows. Each tasca offers specific dishes on each day of the week, particularly at lunch.

Most of the time, tablecloths are made of paper. 

Imperial/ Caneca
This is a way to ask for beer!
If you want a 20 cl glass of beer, you can ask for a “Imperial”, if you prefer a 40 cl you can ask for a Caneca 

Bica
It’s an espresso. 

Galao 

It is a popular Portuguese coffee drink, similar to a latte, consisting of espresso and steamed milk, served in a tall glass. 

Bifana 

It is a traditional Portuguese sandwich made with thin slices of pork that are marinated and simmered in a sauce of white wine, garlic, and paprika and served on soft rolls with plenty of mustard and piri-piri sauce.

It can also be grilled, especially during the “Santos Populares” in June, where you can find lots of people selling bifanas in every corner. 

Saudade :
It’s a unique word in the Portuguese language. Saudade Describes a deep emotional state of nostalgic longing for something or someone that is absent, often with a melancholic or bittersweet tone. It carries a sense of incompleteness, as if a part of you is missing.

It’s more than just missing someone; it’s a profound yearning for a person, place, or time that may never return.
Unlike simple sadness, saudade has a poetic, almost sweet pain to it—a recognition of love or joy that once was.
While English has words like “longing,” “nostalgia,” or “yearning,” none fully capture saudade’s mix of sorrow, love, and beauty. It’s a word that embodies an entire emotional universe.