# Obrigado-ish

> Obrigado-ish helps foreigners settle in Portugal: European Portuguese for real life and how to navigate the system (paperwork, health, housing, daily life, transport and studying), explained step by step by a Portuguese native in Lisbon. Every page gives the steps, the exact sentence to say in Portuguese and how to pronounce it.

Tagline: Navigate Portugal like a local, from day one. (FR: Naviguez au Portugal comme un local, dès le premier jour. DE: Portugal wie ein Einheimischer meistern, vom ersten Tag an.)

Key facts:
- Who it is for: expats, workers, retirees, families, Erasmus and international students in their first months in Portugal.
- Who is behind it: a Portuguese native living in Lisbon. Contact: ola@obrigadoish.com.
- Language taught: European Portuguese as spoken in Portugal, never Brazilian Portuguese.
- What makes it different: big relocation sites explain the law; Obrigado-ish explains the morning at the counter: which office, which documents they will actually ask for, and what to say in Portuguese.
- Pronunciation: every Portuguese phrase has a respelling written for the reader's own language (English, French or German readers each get their own system).
- Website languages: English (https://obrigadoish.com/), European Portuguese (https://obrigadoish.com/pt/), French (https://obrigadoish.com/fr/) and German (https://obrigadoish.com/de/). Each language is written for its own readers, not translated word for word.
- Products: printable PDF guides (A4, US Letter and a phone version), sold only on Gumroad (https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com), prices in euros, instant download. The guides are in English and European Portuguese today; French and German editions are in preparation.
- Accuracy: practical information, not legal, tax or medical advice. Pages point to the official sources (ePortugal/gov.pt, Portal das Finanças, AIMA, SNS 24) and show a "last checked" date. The guides do not list yearly fees or deadlines, which change; they explain how things work and link the official figures. In an emergency in Portugal, call 112.

## Topics
Obrigado-ish organises its guides and articles into six areas of a newcomer's first six months:
- Paperwork and official messages: ready-to-send emails and letters in correct European Portuguese: asking for information or a document (declaração), booking or changing an appointment, complaints, cancelling contracts, bank and insurance claims, plus phone scripts. Guide: [Formal Message Templates](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/message-templates).
- Housing: documents to rent, viewings, contracts, scams, inventory, utilities, getting the deposit back. Guide: [Renting in Portugal Kit](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/renting-kit).
- Health: the pharmacy counter, describing symptoms, public or private care, dentist, children, who to call. Guide: [Doctor & Pharmacy Phrases](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/doctor-pharmacy).
- Daily life: ordering coffee, menus and the couvert, allergens, the supermarket, everyday phrases and their real meaning. Guide: [Café, Menu & Supermarket Decoder](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/cafe-menu-decoder).
- Getting around: metro, trains, trams, ferries and buses in Lisbon, the south bank and Porto; phone and internet; asking for directions. Guide: [Getting Around & Staying Connected](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/getting-around).
- Students and language: Erasmus arrival checklists, university words, the 0–20 grades, student life; pronunciation, survival phrases, Portugal vs Brazil. Guide: [Erasmus & International Student Kit](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/student-kit).

## Guides
- [European Portuguese Cheat Sheets](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/cheat-sheets): Pronunciation, survival phrases, numbers, time, the verbs you'll actually use, and Portugal vs Brazil. 15 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €7.
- [Café, Menu & Supermarket Decoder](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/cafe-menu-decoder): Order coffee like a local, read any menu, ask about allergens and get what you want at the counter. 15 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €5.
- [Doctor & Pharmacy Phrases](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/doctor-pharmacy): Symptoms, the pharmacy counter, public or private care, dentist, children and who to call. 15 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €6.
- [Getting Around & Staying Connected](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/getting-around): Metro, trains, trams, ferries and buses in Lisbon, the south bank and Porto, plus phone and internet. 10 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €5.
- [Renting in Portugal Kit](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/renting-kit): Listings, viewings, documents, contracts, scams, inventory, utilities and getting your deposit back. 14 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €14.
- [Formal Message Templates](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/message-templates): 16 ready-to-send emails and letters in correct European Portuguese, plus phone scripts. 13 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €12.
- [Erasmus & International Student Kit](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/student-kit): Arrival checklists, university words, the 0–20 grades, student life, slang and safety. 9 pages; PDF in A4, US Letter and phone versions. Price: €12.

## Bundles
- [Everyday Portuguese bundle](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/everyday-bundle): For the first weeks: the café, the pharmacy and the emails you can't avoid. Price: €25.
- [Student bundle](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/student-bundle): Everything for an Erasmus semester, from the first coffee to the last exam. Price: €25.
- [Settle-In bundle](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com/l/settle-in-bundle): For moving here properly: a flat, a transport card, a doctor and the paperwork. Price: €29.

## Blog (English)
- [What does "então" mean in Portuguese? One word, five meanings](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/entao-meaning/): "Então?" can mean hi, so what happened, hurry up, what's going on, or just "then". How to tell which one you're hearing.
- [What does "é já ali" mean? Asking for directions in Portugal](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/e-ja-ali-meaning/): You ask a local for directions and hear "é já ali", it's just over there. Here's what that really means, and what to expect on the way.
- [How to say "you're welcome" in Portuguese like a local](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/ora-essa-meaning/): "De nada" is fine. "Não tem de quê" is better. "Ora essa!" is local level. Three ways to say you're welcome in European Portuguese.
- [How to ask for the bill in Portugal ("A conta, se faz favor")](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/a-conta-se-faz-favor/): You finished lunch 40 minutes ago and the bill still hasn't come. It won't, until you ask. Here's how to ask for the bill in European Portuguese.
- [What does "já vou" mean in Portugal? (It's not right now)](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/ja-vou-meaning/): You wave at the waiter and hear "já vou!". It means "coming right now", but not quite the way you think. How restaurant timing works in Portugal.
- [What does "tá-se bem" mean? Portuguese slang for "all good"](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/ta-se-bem-meaning/): "Tá-se bem" is the relaxed Portuguese answer to almost anything. What it means, how to say it, and where not to use it.
- [What does "pode ser" mean in Portuguese? (Yes, maybe or no)](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/pode-ser-meaning/): You invite a Portuguese friend and they answer "pode ser". Two words, three possible answers. Here's how to tell them apart.
- [What is a bica? How to order coffee in Lisbon like a local](https://obrigadoish.com/blog/uma-bica-coffee-lisbon/): Week 1 you ask for "um café expresso". By month 6 it's "uma bica". What a bica is, how to say it, and what to order in Porto instead.
The same articles are available in Portuguese (https://obrigadoish.com/pt/blog/).

## Language versions
- [English](https://obrigadoish.com/): homepage; blog at https://obrigadoish.com/blog/
- [Português (Portugal)](https://obrigadoish.com/pt/): homepage; blog at https://obrigadoish.com/pt/blog/
- [Français](https://obrigadoish.com/fr/): homepage; blog at https://obrigadoish.com/fr/blog/
- [Deutsch](https://obrigadoish.com/de/): homepage; blog at https://obrigadoish.com/de/blog/

## Policies
- [Terms of use and sale](https://obrigadoish.com/terms.html)
- [Privacy policy](https://obrigadoish.com/privacy.html)
- [Cookie policy](https://obrigadoish.com/cookies.html): the site uses no cookies, analytics or tracking.
- [Legal notice](https://obrigadoish.com/legal-notice.html)
Policies are in English and European Portuguese; the French and German pages link to the English versions.

## Optional
- [Full text for AI assistants](https://obrigadoish.com/llms-full.txt): every guide, FAQ, pronunciation system and article summary in all languages.
- [Gumroad shop](https://obrigadoish.gumroad.com)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/obrigadoish/)
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@obrigadoish)
- [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@obrigadoish)
- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/obrigadoish)