Bus and Metro Portuguese: Buy Tickets and Find Your Stop
Practice the public-transport questions that help you choose a line, understand a fare, and get off near your destination.
Real Life Portuguese · 8 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Name the destination and ask which line or bus goes there. Use ônibus for bus, metrô for subway, and linha for line. If you are unsure which station or stop is closest, ask a staff member and confirm the answer on the local map or route display.
Ask which bus or metro line reaches your destination
Routes, payment methods, and transit vocabulary can differ by city. Treat signs and current service information as the authority for a particular trip, and use Portuguese questions to clarify what you see.
Qual ônibus vai para o centro?
Which bus goes downtown?
Qual linha do metrô vai para a estação Central?
Which metro line goes to Central Station?
Esta estação fica perto do museu?
Is this station near the museum?
Ask about a ticket or transit card
Use passagem or bilhete to ask about a ticket, and cartão de transporte for a transit card. In some places, a rechargeable card is used; in others, payment rules differ. Ask what works on the specific bus or station you are using instead of assuming one system is the same across Brazil.
If you need to add value to a card, you can ask where to load or recharge it. Confirm the fare before paying when it is not clearly displayed.
Onde posso comprar uma passagem?
Where can I buy a ticket?
Onde posso recarregar o cartão de transporte?
Where can I reload the transit card?
Quanto custa a passagem?
How much is the ticket?
Check where to board and where to get off
Ponto de ônibus means bus stop; estação is a station. Ask where to board if you cannot see a queue or platform. Once you are on the vehicle, ask which stop is closest to your destination and listen for stop announcements if available.
The verb descer means to get off a bus or train. Combine it with em or no/na to name the stop or station: descer na próxima estação (get off at the next station). Practice the phrase before you travel so you can use it clearly in a busy vehicle.
Onde fica o ponto de ônibus?
Where is the bus stop?
Em qual ponto eu desço?
At which stop do I get off?
Preciso descer na próxima estação?
Do I need to get off at the next station?
Use a short transit exchange from start to finish
Put the phrases together: state where you are going, ask which route to take, confirm the ticket or card, and check the stop where you should get off. If a response is hard to follow, ask for the route number to be written down or shown on a map.
This guide focuses on public transport. For street directions and landmarks, use the separate Real Life Portuguese directions guide; for teacher-led role-play, explore I Speak Portuguese. Practice both the question and the confirmation so you can catch a route change or an unfamiliar stop name.
Vou para o centro. Qual ônibus devo pegar?
I’m going downtown. Which bus should I take?
Pode mostrar a estação no mapa?
Could you show me the station on the map?
Então eu desço na próxima parada, certo?
So I get off at the next stop, right?
Put it into practice
Before you travel, practice four phrases: ask for a route, ask about the fare, find the stop, and confirm where to get off. Check current local signs for actual routes and payment rules.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Could you show me the station on the map”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.