At a Movie Theater in Brazil: Buy Tickets and Ask About Subtitles
Understand the difference between a dubbed and subtitled movie and learn what to ask at a Brazilian cinema ticket counter.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
A movie theater is a cinema. Sessão means screening or showtime. Ask what time the film starts and whether seats are available for your group. If you already know the title, saying it first helps the staff find the right listing.
Ask about movie times and ticket availability
Que horas começa a próxima sessão de Duna?
What time does the next screening of Dune start?
Tem dois lugares disponíveis para a sessão das sete?
Are two seats available for the seven o’clock show?
Choose between dubbed and subtitled audio
Dublado means dubbed in Portuguese, while legendado means shown in the original audio with subtitles. Ask which version a session uses before buying a ticket. In movie listings, legendado does not mean the movie is spoken in Portuguese.
Essa sessão é dublada ou legendada?
Is this screening dubbed or subtitled?
Quero assistir à versão legendada, se tiver.
I’d like to watch the subtitled version, if there is one.
Confirm your seats and the theater room
Poltrona means seat or armchair, and sala means theater room. If the ticket assigns seats, confirm the row and numbers. Sala 4 is room 4, not the fourth showing.
Nossos lugares são as poltronas B12 e B13?
Are our seats B12 and B13?
Em qual sala vai passar o filme?
Which theater room is showing the film?
Put it into practice
Remember dublado for Portuguese audio and legendado for original audio with subtitles.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “What time does the next screening of Dune start”?
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.