European Portuguese Shorties (from PracticePortuguese.com)
European Portuguese Shorties offers short dialogues and articles in European Portuguese to help learners practice listening comprehension on the go. Produced by Practice Portuguese, the podcast is designed for intermediate learners who want to improve their understanding of everyday Portuguese. Each episode focuses on a specific topic or situation, providing natural language examples and cultural insights.
Episódios
Preparativos Para Um Dia Na Praia
Paulo and Tiago discuss what to bring to the beach for a full day in the sun. Vocabulary includes common beach items and phrases related to preparing for a day out.
Uma Aventura Com A Bicicleta Nova
Pedals turning, waves crashing, eyes closing.
Influência Árabe em Portugal
Have you ever wondered why so many Portuguese words start with “al-”?
Ferreira do Zêzere
Escape the Atlantic chill and discover Ferreira do Zêzere — a place of warm waters, fresh seafood, and... giant omelettes?
Da Capital para o Campo
Explore the personal infinitive as Lúcia and Mariana discuss life in the city vs. the countryside.
A Liquidificadora Explosiva
A kitchen disaster unfolds when siblings blame each other for the mess all over the floors and walls.
Sobrecarregado de Trabalho
João and Miguel catch up and compare their work-life balance. Take note of how compound tenses are used throughout the dialogue.
Porquê Viver em Portugal?
Why is Portugal considered one of the best countries to live in?
A Sinfonia Dos Sapos
It’s book club as usual: profound metaphors, lyrical prose, and… noisy frogs?
A Nova Casa do Manel
Manel is moving to a new house and asks Rafaela for help with the decor and colour coordination. Rafaela calls Joana to share her excitement about the project.
Na Reprografia
A man visits a print shop in Portugal to print some PDFs.
A Dificuldade Em Comprar Uma Bateria Eletrónica
Sílvia deals with a pushy salesman while shopping for an electronic drum set. Then she leaves a voicemail for her partner about what happened and what she decided.
Um Jantar E Uma Caminhada
A daughter and her mother discuss their evening plans.
Doutora, Tenho Uma Dúvida
At the hospital, Mário consults with Lisa about a patient with recurrent gastrointestinal issues, seeking advice on further testing.
Um Pato Cheio De Fome
A day at the park turns from picnic to panic in this simple A1 story.
Uma Conferência Bem Sucedida
Two friends and colleagues, Sara and Joana, discuss the challenges they face when organizing a health conference.
O Dia Em Que Voei por Coimbra
A girl flaps her arms, and is amazed to find herself flying over the city of Coimbra! Hear the story in both the present and past tense.
Três Sandes Nacionais Deliciosas
The only three words you’ll need in Portugal: bifana, prego, leitão
Opções de Pequeno-Almoço Sem Glúten
Emily is in search of gluten-free breakfast options! Learn how to ask about ingredients and discuss dietary restrictions in European Portuguese.
O Zé das Ideias
When Zé shows off his wild drawing, Liliana questions the role of artificial intelligence in creating art.
Perdida No Supermercado
Maria asks for help finding various items around the supermarket.
Os Meus Planos Para O Futuro
Explore compound tenses in the futuro composto and condicional as a man wonders where his life choices might lead him.
Uma Volta Pelos Mercados de Natal
That magical blend of festive lights, bustling crowds, and rapidly declining self-control.
A Planta Que Não Quer Crescer
Carla asks Miguel for advice on getting her houseplant to grow. Keep an eye/ear out for auxiliary verbs!
Aula de Soletração
Can you spell these words? Take a spelling test with these students to practice the names for letters of the Portuguese alphabet.
Multibanco – A Revolução Bancária Portuguesa
Listen and learn about the Multibanco system and how it reshaped everyday banking in Portugal.
O Castigo De Prometeu
Explore the pretérito mais-que-perfeito and other forms of the past tense, in this story of the titan Prometheus.
A Bianca e a Família Dela
Bianca tells us about her family and daily life.
Sozinho Na Noite Escura
What’s that sound?! 🫣
Entrevista ao Senhor António
António is interviewed about his daily life, including his family, job, commute, favourite activities, and more.
P.S. Estou na Mongólia
While traveling in Mongolia, Guilherme emails his grandfather to share some exciting news.
Os Abdominais São Feitos Na Cozinha
Guilherme can’t figure out why his workouts aren’t giving him the results he’s been after.
Ando Apenas Cansada
What’s wrong with Rita? Find out as you explore how the verb andar is used in context.
Que Metro Vai Para O Marquês?
Filipe asks Sofia for directions and she helps him navigate the metro lines in Lisbon.
A Senhora Barata
A story about why you should always eat your vegetables! 😉
De Boleia Até Casa
Helena gives Lúcia a ride home.
Não Vivas Com Poetas
As Luísa prepares to begin law school, her brother Henrique shares his advice about who she should live with.
Um Barulho Metálico no Motor
A man brings his car to the mechanic after hearing a strange noise.
O Teste De Matemática
Faced with an unexpected math test, Camila finds she was more prepared than she thought! (Need more Portuguese numbers practice? Pause the audio after each question to quiz yourself. 😉)
O Super-Poder De Não Fazer Nada
A man puts down his phone to rediscover the art of boredom.
A Minha Sala Remodelada
A man talks about his newly remodeled living room, using prepositions of place and vocabulary related to furniture and household items.
É Melhor Explorar O Interior De Portugal
José tells us why he enjoyed traveling in the interior of Portugal more than Lisbon. Later, Sara asks him questions about his trip.
Vamos à Pastelaria?
Tiago teaches Oliver about a few common coffee orders in Portugal.
Uma Tarde de Julho
Rodrigo and Manuela enjoy a sunny afternoon together, discussing travel and exploring new places nearby. You may notice a number of false cognates throughout the story.
Onde Está O Meu Livro?
Sofia can't find her book and enlists Lucas to help her with the search. This story uses simple vocabulary and common verbs in the present tense.
Um Padre À Maneira
Guilherme and Teresa watch the drama unfold at a wedding with a very unconventional priest.
Um Prédio Cheio De Problemas
Rui and his neighbour Dona Benilde discuss some frustrating problems in their apartment building.
Estudo Estatístico
Ester agrees to participate in a statistical study about Mafra families by answering a few questions.
À Procura do Livro Certo
Learn Portuguese adverbs in context through this conversation at a book store.
O Artur e o Nuno Vão Almoçar Fora
Artur and Nuno get a table at a restaurant in Portugal.
Dona Irene, a Porteira
Augusto's forgetfulness leads to an encounter with Dona Irene, the porteira. They go on to discuss some problems in the apartment building.
Note: A porteira is similar to a concierge / janitor / caretaker for an entire building, but nowadays this is a dying profession. The role was often filled by older Portuguese women.
No Florista em Lisboa
Beatriz goes to a flower shop in Lisbon.
Os Infames Vistos Gold
Learn more about the Golden Visa program and how it has changed over the years.
Criei um Canal
Maia’s journey trying to make her travel vlog profitable, shared from both a 1st-person and 3rd-person perspective.
A Feira de Março
Have you ever been to the Feira de Março in Aveiro?
Uma Discussão Entre Amigas
Jéssica is upset after a fight with her best friend Daniela.
Ciclo de Afetos
Rafael takes care of his mother, helping her through the morning routine.
Stress do IRS
Susana calls the tax authority's phone line for help with her tax return. In Portugal, IRS refers to Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares (personal income tax / "tax on the income of natural persons".)
Os Caretos De Podence
Learn about the Entrudo Chocalheiro tradition that takes place during Carnival in the village of Podence.
Banhos… de Floresta?
Adapted from an article by Julie Fox, the founder of Feel More Connected, a women’s wellbeing blog that focuses on connecting with nature, yourself, and other people.
À Procura Do Café Pastel De Nata
Inês gets lost looking for a café and a kind woman helps her with directions.
A Influenciadora
Érica and Hélio banter about influencers and their social media habits.
Andar a Contar Tostões
Join Diogo and Sandra in a silly conversation about money troubles and relationship drama. Along the way, take note of how the verb "andar" is used in context.
A Vida da Professora Laura
Laura introduces herself, sharing details about her family, work, and hobbies. Then you'll hear the same introduction from a 3rd-person perspective.
A Tagarela do Autocarro 44
Caught at a bus stop with a talkative stranger, Ana patiently contributes to the one-sided chat using simple comments that say "I'm listening", without saying much at all. Coincidentally, this is also helpful for language learners who want to keep the conversation flowing, despite not having much to say yet… 😉
Passadiços do Paiva
Learn more about the award-winning walkways in Arouca Geopark, offering 9 kilometers of stunning landscapes.
Doçaria
Ricardo explores a Portuguese sweet shop for the first time.
O Presépio Português
Discover the heartwarming tradition of the Presépio Gigante in Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal.
Natal Com Novas Experiências
Manuel and António chat about their Christmas plans.
Perguntas ao José Pinheiro
Joana asks José to help her practice for a job interview.
A Casa Nova da Inês
Inês and Maria consider the pros and cons of Inês’s new home.
Assistência em Viagem
Follow Manuel Joaquim's comical struggle to activate roadside assistance in the Portuguese countryside.
Receita De Chili Vegetariano
As Francisca shares one of her favourite recipes with Alex, you’ll learn vocabulary related to food and cooking, and hear how the imperativo mood is used to give instructions.
Sou o Afonso
Afonso talks about himself and his friend Sónia in this simple introduction.
Cavalo Lusitano
Learn more about the Lusitano horse, a versatile breed that originated in Portugal.
A Avó ‘Cyberstalker’
Maria’s grandmother won’t stop commenting on Ricardo’s social media posts!
Tarde no Parque
In today’s Shorty, we'll answer the simple question, “What did you do yesterday?”, using the Portuguese simple past tense (pretérito perfeito), as well as the past continuous tense (pretérito imperfeito).
A Vida de Olga em Almodôvar
Meet Olga, a German expat living in Portugal, embracing rural life with her wife Lucie and their two dogs.
Candidatura Espontânea
António's job interview takes an unexpected turn!
Note: Candidatura espontânea is a term used if someone applies for a job when the company is not even hiring. In this Shorty, it ends up having a double meaning. 🙃
Como Vós Estais Hoje?
Manuel offers to help his neighbour with some yard work.
This Shorty includes the personal pronoun vós (another pronoun for "you") and conjugation of verbs in that form. We don’t use vós in most of our content, or in the Verbs section, because it has fallen out of use nowadays, except in specific regions and contexts. The more common alternatives you’re probably familiar with are você (singular,
