Portuguese for markets and shopping: prices, sizes and false friends
Feiras (street markets) and lojas (shops) run on their own vocabulary. These are the phrases for asking the price, finding your size, and not confusing a factory with fabric.
Asking prices
Quanto custa isso?
How much is this?
Tem desconto para pagamento à vista?
Is there a discount for cash?
Isso está caro.
That's expensive.
Dá para fazer mais barato?
Could you make it cheaper?
Esse é o preço final?
Is this the final price?
Sizes and fabric
Tem um tamanho maior?
Do you have a bigger size?
Isso é feito de quê?
What is this made of?
Esse tecido é de algodão?
Is this fabric cotton?
tecido is fabric. Fábrica means factory, not fabric.
Posso experimentar?
Can I try it on?
Onde é o provador?
Where's the fitting room?
Paying and errands
Preciso de uma pasta para esses documentos.
I need a folder for these documents.
pasta means folder, not the food. Pasta the food is macarrão.
Qual é a data de hoje?
What's today's date?
Estou comprometido essa tarde.
I'm busy this afternoon.
comprometido means busy or committed, not compromised.
Posso pagar parcelado?
Can I pay in installments?
Percebi que era o tamanho errado.
I realized it was the wrong size.
realizar means to carry out or make happen, not to realize. To realize/notice is perceber.
Fique com o troco.
Keep the change.
False friend traps
fábrica looks like fabric, but means factory
Uma fábrica de tecidos is a textile factory. The cloth itself is tecido, not fábrica.
pasta looks like pasta (the food), but means folder
Guarde na pasta means keep it in the folder. The noodles you eat are macarrão or massa.
data looks like data (information), but means date (calendar)
Qual é a data? asks for today's date. Information or data is dados.
comprometido looks like compromised, but means busy, committed
Estou comprometido hoje just means I'm busy today, or in a relationship. It doesn't imply anything was compromised.
realizar looks like realize, but means to carry out, achieve
Realizar um sonho is to make a dream come true. To realize or notice something is perceber or dar-se conta.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
Can I haggle at a feira?
Yes, gently, especially near closing time when vendors want to clear stock. A polite Dá para fazer um precinho melhor? (can you give me a better little price?) usually gets a small discount.
What does à vista mean on a price tag?
It means paying in one lump sum, usually in cash, and often comes with a discount compared to parcelado (paying in installments), which is extremely common in Brazil even for modest purchases.
Are prices in Brazilian shops fixed?
In malls and chain stores, yes. At open-air feiras and small independent stalls, there's more room to negotiate, especially buying more than one item.
What sizes should I expect?
Brazilian clothing sizes (P, M, G, GG for small, medium, large, extra-large) don't map directly to US or UK sizing, so trying on (experimentar) before buying is worth the extra minute.