Ask for Directions in Brazilian Portuguese and Confirm the Route
A good directions question includes a landmark and a follow-up so you can confirm the route before setting off.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Use Onde fica…? to ask where a place is. Naming a street, station, hotel, or well-known landmark gives the other person something specific to answer. If you are already nearby, daqui (from here) helps frame the distance question.
Ask where a place is with a name or landmark
In a busy place, a short opener such as Com licença (excuse me) can help you get someone’s attention politely.
Com licença, onde fica a estação?
Excuse me, where is the station?
Como eu chego à Praça da República?
How do I get to Praça da República?
É longe daqui?
Is it far from here?
Confirm whether the route works for you
Dá para ir a pé? asks whether you can walk there. If the answer includes a turn or landmark you do not know, ask the speaker to repeat the key step. Repeating the street name back is a quick way to confirm you heard it correctly.
For directions, you may hear vire à direita (turn right), vire à esquerda (turn left), siga reto (go straight), and fica perto de… (it is near…). You can understand one or two instructions at a time; there is no need to memorize a full speech.
Dá para ir a pé ou é melhor pegar um ônibus?
Can I walk there, or is it better to take a bus?
Depois da farmácia, eu viro à esquerda?
After the pharmacy, do I turn left?
Pode repetir o nome da rua?
Can you repeat the street name?
Use the route as a short listening task
Before a trip, practice with a simple map and choose a destination you can recognize. Listen for direction words and landmarks, then explain the route back in one or two steps. This trains you to act on the important information instead of translating every word.
Put it into practice
Ask one route question, check whether the distance is manageable, and repeat one landmark or turn to confirm you understood.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “After the pharmacy, do I turn left”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
This guide is an original Real Life Portuguese adaptation of an earlier article from I Speak Portuguese.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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