por favor
/puʁ faˈvoʁ/
The English phrase "please" is translated into Portuguese as por favor. Wiktionary also lists faça favor and se faz favor.
Meaning: interjection to make a polite request (intj)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| por favor | /puʁ faˈvoʁ/ (Brazil) /puɾ faˈvoɾ/ (São Paulo) |
| faça favor | |
| se faz favor | /si ˈfa(j)s faˈvoʁ/ (Brazil) /si ˈfa(j)s faˈvoɾ/ (São Paulo) |
These forms are used as interjections to make polite requests. While English allows "please" to function as a verb, the Portuguese equivalent por favor is strictly an adverbial phrase used to add politeness to a request.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase por favor literally translates to "by favor".
Which one should you use?
While por favor is the universal way to say "please", other variations like faça favor or se faz favor exist.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Se faz favor is a common way to say "please" in Portugal (European Portuguese), whereas por favor is more universal.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/puʁ faˈvoʁ/
Did you know?
- In some Brazilian contexts, por favor is replaced by the word por gentileza to convey an even higher level of formality or extreme politeness.
- In a restaurant, placing por favor at the very beginning of your sentence can sometimes sound more direct or urgent than placing it at the end.
- The root of favor comes from the Proto-Indo-European *gʰoweh₁, which originally meant 'to notice'.
Examples in context
- Quem é, por favor?Who is this, please?This shows how to use por favor when asking for identification.Tatoeba #4644965 by KimiP, translation #37901 by CM
- O menu, por favor.The menu, please.This is useful for ordering something like a menu using por favor.Tatoeba #13768995 by Covered, translation #12273065 by sundown
- Por favor, me diga.Please, tell me.This demonstrates placing por favor at the start of a request.Tatoeba #1331096 by brauliobezerra, translation #38579 by CK
- Pode me ajudar a carregar essas malas, se faz favor?Can you help me carry these bags, please?
- Pode fazer-me o favor de passar-me o sal, se faz favor?Can you pass me the salt, please?
- 2321 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a coffee shop.
- BeatrizUm café preto, por favor.A black coffee, please.
- GabrielCom açúcar ou sem açúcar?With sugar or without sugar?
- BeatrizSem açúcar, por favor.Without sugar, please.
- GabrielCom certeza, Beatriz. Aqui está.Certainly, Beatriz. Here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries por favor, faça favor, se faz favor, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries favor, por, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
