Just as a quick note. It's totally normal to eat stuff like burgers, pizza, etc... with your hands in Portugal. Some places are fancy, and most pizza places offer the option in case you want to eat it like that. But by no means is it impolite or not ok to not do so, that's how most people eat it.
Not that simple. If you get a girlfriend from "good families" and you are dining with their parents, do use fork and knife for everything, even eating shrimp. If you are eating pizza or burger with friends, no one will bat an eye if you eat it with your hands.
Most definitely, you gotta know where you are in order to decide this, personally, I'll eat all of the mentioned foods with my hands unless I'm at a much fancier place
That is true, and almost everyone complies, even Karens tend to comply! However, it's polite to still ask (as I said, most people will comply) or you may get evil comments and side eyes
@@anabarbara7706 yeah, and sometimes you can just be oblivious and have one of the above sitting behind you giving you stares and whatnot when they could just politely ask you if they could get ahead (because they have the right to do so)
@Natasha Banky I meant Karens like the ones we see on the internet sometimes ^^ Meaning, people who think they're entitled and always right, and that no one else has the right to anything because the right is theirs. Even that type of people tends to comply to the queue priority rules
#1 is what annoys me the most. It's like we don't exist as a country and some people think that just because we're near Spain that means we're basically the same. It's super disrespectful, especially when considering we had to fight for centuries to *not* be subjugated by Spain
Portugal was an independent kingdom with borders, language, culture, long before the word Spain was invented. The cultures are very different: when Portuguese fight they want to make a point, when Spaniards fight they want to kill. Because of intermarriages of the monarchy Spain always "eyed" Portugal. But even as a republica, as recently as 1940's under Franco, Spain had plans to invade Portugal, a neutral cou try during the WWII... Portugal and England have the oldest alliance agreement in the world, still in effect. Under that alliance, England would assist Portugal against Spain, if such invasion were to take place.
About doing U turns, it's entirely acceptable, you just have to know your 3 point maneuver and signal properly, like you mentioned in a different video, people don't really signal (unfortunately) but as long as you signal and do the maneuver quickly. Another tip I can tell you is that if someone is behind you and you want to pull that U turn, signal like you're going to pull over to the side, let them pass, and then signal the maneuver and make your turn Edit: Make sure to always thank people by waving your hand at them, it mitigates the impatient driver's anger *typically*
I think it also highly depends on where and when. Most often you shouldn't because of continuous lines, one ways or a upcoming roundabout. In a situation like Dead End parking zone with 0 free parking spots its 100% ok to do a U turn if the street allows you to.
@@tukimicetkagree. I see too many drivers doing u-turns on national roads etc. even with indicating that is dangerous or even annoying. They could just go on a little more and turn to a side road and turn there.
The Portuguese are very polite and civil people and it's always a joy going there. I especially love the north of the country. Yes, learning some Portuguese phrases can go a long way, and it's such a beautiful language so it's worth doing. Coming from Ireland, one thing I like is that you won't see local people out at night falling around drunk. It feels so much safer and pleasant. If you do they're probably foreigners on holiday, but please don't treat Portugal like a giant holiday camp. Have some respect for the culture, be polite and considerate to others, and you will be made feel very welcome. Much love to our Portuguese friends. ♥
Totally agree!!! Well said!!! Portugal 🇵🇹 is a beautiful country and the people are ever so nice and friendly!!! Was there on holiday in April and had a wonderful time, didn't want to come back home to the UK. I love the lingo too and still learning it.
Thank you so much for your words, friend. I wish more people thought like you, and were open minded. Glad you like our culture, and had a great experience here. Love from Portugal 🇵🇹🤝🇮🇪
Portuguese here! For me, the worst any foreigner can do is act like they belong to a superior race...that gets my red Portuguese blood boiling... Do your "smartass" number with me, and you are done... The other day a woman started talking to me on the street, in what she thought was "Spanish", it's not the Spanish I mind, but her friend said "She doesn't understand you!" to which I replied in English: "No Madam, it's the way you addressed me that is wrong... What about "Good morning" or "Could you please help me?". Going to a country and thinking the people there are dumb and witless is a big no-no.
Sim,mas aceitas tudo o que os negros fazem,quem me dera que o mal que fizessem era nao dizer bom dia,se a pele for mais escura aceitas tudo e estás caladinha
@@lsdengo1589 Посетете Португалия и няма да съжалявате. Богата култура, история, архитектура, природа, вкусна морска храна и любезни хора. От Пловдив, България
As an actual Portuguese, here are the tips : Never criticize Portugal, and always respect the country and the Portugueses. No speaking loud in the street or bad attitudes. We do not expect foreigners to speak our language, if you try speaking Portuguese it's great obviously. Most important, stay calm, if there is no danger, there's no need to make a scene.
От пътуването ми в Португалия установих, че местните са едни от най-приятните и любезни хора, които съм срещала в Европа. Хора с достойнство и внимателни към гостите. Цялостно имам прекрасни спомени от страната! Благодаря ти Португалия! Сърдечно от България
I'm a German living in Spain. As far as my experiences with travelling in Portugal are concerned, I want to say the following. For speaking Spanish fluently, I thought it would be closer to the people to communicate with them in Spanish rather than English. I've learned that many Portuguese prefer speaking English so fine with me. I've made it a habit to ask them in my broken Portuguese what language to speak whether English, Spanish or French. It's definetely not a good idea to direct to Portuguese straight away in Spanish.
It's not that we dont understand Spanish, its very similar to PT and most of us actually do just fine. It's just that we are so fed up with being confused with Spain, especially by americans, that when someone immediately assumes we speak spanish kinda pisses us off... Your approach is definitely the way to go. Spanish and English will get you by almost everywhere. French is a bit less common.
There's the whole history rivalry with Spain to consider... We get along fine with Spanish people and understand the language quite well, but we do demand respect for our own culture...
@hotscorpion. Chill out. I'm from Switzerland and it still gets confused ( by the same kind of people who annoy you) with Sweden. They mean no harm. Deflate your ego
@@berits.2346 i know they mean no harm,but one thing is an honest mistake, another is just plain lack of minimal effort. Example, if i'm with someone outside of the country and they confuse it, it's fine. but when you voluntarily visit somewhere, the least you can do is google what language is spoken there and get some basic information about your destination. its 2023, people have the internet in their pocket. if someone cant be arsed to spend 1 minute looking it up, i can't have any respect for this sort of tourist. Especially, with Americans, infamously intolerant of the reverse situation. Some even demand to speak English everywhere else. Now, if someone approaches me and at least ask me if i understand spanish, which I do, i am more than glad to help. it's all about the approach and whether its ignorant but still humble and respectful, or ignorant and entitled.
This makes no sense. The first tip. Don't speak Spanish I went to Portugal with a Spanish friend last summer. Through his language we have achieved everything. Eating at a local restaurant, being at the market, drinking coffee with local ones. With Spanish you achieve more than with English
Really happy to see a foreigner being respectful and actually trying to learn about portuguese culture and rules. Turists mostly come here to party hard away from responsibilities and most of the time just cause trouble, lots of noise and trash and overall seem like they are the kings and queens and that we, the locals, are just background views to serve them. Its so important to travel with conscience and willing to discover and learn about the country you are traveling to. Portugal in general really likes the fact that people want to come visit, its a nice thing that we can travel the world and get to know different people. Just be aware that while you are here on vaccations, having fun, the rest of us live here everyday, are trying to go to work and live ours lives and we appeciate if you dont make that difficult for us. Thank you for the videos, its so important that you share your knowledge and create awareness for better travelling practices. Subscribed 🔥
i agree with you most of your comment but never forget, theres a lot of Portuguese people who do the exact same, just by going out at night in common places like Bairro Alto, Baixa etc. Of course there's a lot of foreign people or turists there, just dont forget that among them are a lot of portuguese people
You can eat with your hands if you want, but it's not very common for us because we were taught that it doesn't look good to eat with your hands in public... but pizza burgers or fries (if not served on a plate) can be eaten with the hands also the "churrasco" 😉
That also depends on the pizzeria as well. In traditional Italian pizzerias pizzas are eaten without the hands, just like what's common in Italy. In American-style pizzerias (like Pizza Hut or Mr. Pizza) that's not the case.
Oh and if you find yourself in a Portuguese pavement during or right after raining ALWAYS try walk on the black stones, ( no, im not jocking lol ) the white cobblestones are like wet glass when it rains, the black ones offer better grip.
As my grandma says: "If you're going to catcall a woman in Portugal, don't be surprised if she wacks out a wooden spoon at your face" and I think that's accurate 😂
That was the Mythical "Colher de Pau" but that was in our Grandmas Era. Now they're all digital influencers and don't even know how to cook. You gotta bring your own spoon! 😂
2:59 I wanted to elaborate on the number 4 here as a Portuguese myself, yes, our culture is very heavy on fork and knife, but it also depends on context and types of food, you can sometimes spot people eating hamburguers or pizas with the fork & knife if you go to a more fancy and expensive restaurant or the moment is very important as it is a way to show etiquette and respect, but if you're just going to mcdonalds, pizza hut, other fast food chains or hanging out with friends, we actually do eat certain foods with our hands for more ease, like pizzas, hamburguers, chicken legs, shrimps, etc. It very much depends on wether you're in a situation where you're being more formal/respectfull or not.
Laughed really hard at the first thing 😂 yeah don't speak Spanish with us. Something that I'd love to add though: knife and fork arr widely used and considered more polite. However a lot of people do eat with their hands, specially burgers, pizza etc. It's not that uncommon.
but like my parents always said "em roma faz como os romanos" which translates to in Rome do as the Romans do which basically means to watch the surroundings and see what everyone is doing so as to not stand out
@@diogorodrigues747 sure. I'm generalising. Typically people eat with their hands. I for once do prefer to start off with the cutlery, then proceed to finish with my hands. Matter of taste by the end of the day
As Portuguese, I just want to add a few points: 1- Not speaking Spanish: There is no problem in speaking Spanish, the most important thing is to have "communication", there is only a rivalry between the Portuguese and the Spaniards that is easily understood if you know how the country "Portugal" was created . 2- Don't expect others to speak English: Yes, a lot of the older Portuguese population doesn't know English and other people from abroad like Brazil don't either, but sometimes it's just for lack of practice, because English is only spoken in school classes and never trains in real life so be a little patient with people because nobody is perfect, even i am aware that i make some syntactic errors even though i speak english for over 9 years (any problem, google translate can help a lot) 3-Don't be impatient: I have nothing to say about this one, it depends a lot on the number of employees and customers. 4- Do not eat with your hands: Attention, there is no rule that prohibits you from doing so, it is just good to know how to "read the restaurant's atmosphere", if you enter a pizzeria and see people eating in an "organized" way, it is respectful to the others follow the same pattern, but nothing prevents you from eating with your hands if that's easier, but then go to a toilet to wash your hands before starting your meal. 5- Do not drive one-way in a parking lot: If you want to drive in foreign countries where the driving rules are different, it is advisable to inform yourself about the rules and signs of the country where you are, because not everything is universal like the STOP sign . 6-Do not make U-turns: If you are going to do this, do it in the shortest possible time and only if there is the possibility of walking in the opposite direction, because it is useless to make a U-turn if it is a one-way road. 7- Do not stay in the fast lane: There are usually 3 lanes, the left lane is for those who want to walk at a minimum speed of 50~70 km/h, the middle one to pass the right lane and the left lane is only to walk very fast, but be careful, if the right side is empty it can be used as if it were the left side. 8- Do not approach women in public: Nothing to comment. 9-Do not disrespect elderly women: It's not just the ladies, gentlemen, they also come into this rule, the elderly deserve some sensitivity because they've been through a lot in this life and contain teachings that only age can provide, Respect others in the way who would like to be respected and don't turn a blind eye to their needs, because one day, you will be one of them. 10- Don´r forget good shoes: For those who want challenges, you can wear hard-soled shoes and try to climb the roads of Lisbon and Porto, but it is advisable to wear good shoes, because everything that goes up, comes down. 11- Don't drink like you do...: Portugal manufactures the most awarded wines and beers in the world, in addition to one of the strongest drinks in the world, Bagaço, so be careful with the alcoholic value that the drinks have, because you certainly don't have the Portuguese genes developed over the centuries to withstand such drinks. 12- Multibanco is already present in many places, but don't expect them to accept ATM in fairs and older restaurants. I hope it helped :)
@@pauvermelho I just didn't write anything, because if I have difficulties I can't stop myself from asking a woman for some information, and as I didn't want to participate in just one side, I ended up not saying anything. There's nothing wrong with asking a woman something, but in Portugal they are very protected and esteemed, that's why you keep a certain distance.
@@pauvermelho It's not just an American thing. Happens in many places, but it depends on which sort of women you're approaching,. As a Portuguese living abroad, it's just that the Portuguese women are insanely defensive or uppity regarding this. So, it's better to not play that game with Portuguese women. Though, I agree that approaching in the streets is always awkward. People are walking somewhere, they likely don't want to be stopped in their daily affairs by some random. Nevertheless, Portuguese women are not very friendly to most approaches in general.
Great fun video! On the last one... Multibanco doesn't mean that they accept foreign cards, that simply mean they accept cards. In Portugal they have their Multibanco system, which means Portuguese-issued cards, where they can process the payment cheaper than with VISA/Mastercards. This is normally doubled up as a Visa card as well in the same card - but it matters in how many fees they pay to receive the payment from your card. Typically in small transaction shops, like a pastelaria outside the bigger cities will only accept Portuguese-issued cards, as you pay only spend a few euros. Let's say you bought a pastel de nata and an expresso... The transaction might be €1,20... If you pay on an international visa card it might me 3-5% fees + maybe €0,50 fee.. Removing their chance of keeping the prices low. Also really matters if you are paying for the toll roads in rural area, they won't accept anything but a Portuguese Multibanco card... Not any foreign-issued cards. Otherwise great efforts!
Just adding that Multibanco is an integrated network for Portuguese DEBIT cards. For Credit cards, you should look for the respective logos, like Visa, Mastercard... In most cases, if a place takes Multibanco, they will also take major Credit Cards, but it's not a given. When in doubt, ask.
@@pmrribeiro You can also get Multi banco credit cards which are accepted all the same places... I got one after I got tired of the debit cards being rejected on the planes :-)
@@joaosito68 Portugal is one of the countries where the use of bank cards is more prevalent. In Germany, for instance, they use cash a lot as well, very often 100 or 500 euro notes.
Number 7: the same applies to the middle lane! You're meant to drive on the right - always. If it's crowded and you've moved to the middle lane (and there are slower drivers in the middle lane), then you overtake them on the left lane - but only then!
And - since he said he wishes that were the law in other places - it's actually the law in most of the United States, that the left lane is only for passing. It's just that people do it anyway.... :)
I'm Portuguese and not eating with my hands is not strange, I eat pizza with my hands and sometimes french fries too, these kind of people who eat pizza with fork and knife are usually "gourmet" is completely normal to eat with your hands here 😉 Obs: I've never seen anyone eat hamburger with fork and knife, unless the burger. be too big
Very accurate video. Regarding the drinking culture, in Latin countries traditionally getting drunk in public was considered a loss of face, but that is changing with the younger generation. The Portuguese are also very tolerant of unruly children (but expect parents to do their job) and if you have children they will try to accommodate you as best as possible in any situation. In less formal situations you can eat some dishes with your hands, like small fried sardines or cod fritters, nobody cares... and yes, you can approach unknown women if you need help or information, or if you want to chit chat while waiting for the bus if the other person seems inclined, but Portuguese men tend to be very discreet with unknown women, so don't stare (even in summer at the beach), or obvious flirtation.
Kids were incredibly well mannered in the Acores. Really enjoyed my visit there. Portugal is a beautiful country. The mainland, the Azorian arquipelago, and Madeira. All beautiful.
In Europe you cannot overtake on the right side, you must use the left side of the road. The exception is on urban roads where you can pass stopped traffic, or if you are going to turn right.
As a Portuguese woman, I must say this is a really good video!!! I just want to point out that it is completely normal to eat burgers, pizza and so on with your hands! But of course if you go to a fancy place, they definitely offer cutlery ~~ :P Also don't feel pressured if you don't speak Portuguese, obviously if you do we'll be very honoured, but no problem.. we'll try to find a way to help/communicate, even if we need a translator! ^^ Thank you so much for the great video! Have a great day ~
Thanks alot. As a Portuguese, I totally confirm these statements and corresponding advices. This information is a precious contribution to the public hygiene in touristic times. Be welcome and... polite.
That's because many Brazilian people are just dumb, and this was said to me by a close Brazilian friend who worked for a Netflix call center in Lisbon and he received many stupid and dumb calls from other Brazilians
We are currently in Portugal and had an amazing Brazilian waitress last night that spoke very good English. We complimented her on her English and left her a good tip. She asked my wife and I to come back again even to just say "Hi". We will go back to that restaurant!
@@kristinahylton5514 Thanks for that comment! I'm Brazilian living in Lisbon and appreciate when someone leaves us a compliment rather that criticizing the ones that had no chance to study English in Brazil. I feel privileged but majority of Brazilians come to Portugal for a better life and choose this Country specially because they can speak Portuguese :)
It is very typical to eat sardines with your hands. For example, take a slice of bread and put the sardine on top and pick with your fingers. The bread will soak up the flavor of the sardine and the bread will be good after. And, it is ok to make U-turns. The typical way of doing so is to make sure you have space and then keep eye contact with the other drivers and ask for patience and then say thank you afterwards by waving your hand.
I ordered grilled sardine thinking I'd get the larger ones last week in Porto, but they were barely larger than those in a typical can here in the US. There was no way to each those with a knife and fork, and I saw others in the restaurant eating them with their hands.
Hi, Dave. I'm brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro, and I'm planning to move to Portugal this year. Some of these "don'ts" are don'ts also in Brazil and in most European countries (except speaking Spanish in Spain). In Brazil we also speak Portuguese, not Spanish, and very few speak English properly. Lane driving is an American thing. If you stick to the left lane on an German Autobahn, in a few seconds you'll have a Porsche reaching your tail at 200 km/h furiously blinking the lights while stepping on the brakes. In Brazil, people also find it strange to eat touching food with owns hands. Sandwiches are held using paper napkins, and pizza is usually served the whole pie on a plate or tray.
It's totally fine to eat pizza or a burger with your hands. Other thing...some traditional dishes are supposed to be eaten with your hands, like sardinhas or frango assado.
It's not called fast lane in Europe but overtaking lane/passing lane (faixa de ultrapassagem). In the whole of Europe you are supposed to stay on the right side at any speed until a slower vehicle appears that you might overtake on the left lane.
Lol, and here's me, a portuguese that eats with his hands, does u-turns frequently in small streets, cuts passages in parking lots and gets impatient when my coffee is 10min late. I think your other points applies to most normal countries. Highways are similar in the US and I assume you also respect your elderly women. Hooking up on the streets randomly is indeed strange and awkward around here, do it in a social group setting, clubs, events or app like tinder. You can speak english freely in the bigger cities, mostly everyone will understand you.
I am a Portuguese-American and I’ve been wanting to visit where my Family Lineage has came from. Thank you for posting. I’m 37 now and hope to visit soon.
hello I'm Portuguese, overhaul we just dont like to bother or get bothered, meaning we are very calm and light over most situations as for my opinion on this: 1 - Yes, if you speak spanish to me it will get awkward, some people will make fun of you 2 - No, you can speak english BUT many young adults and teens dont know english, which are the ones likely to understand english, this is only a problem outside the big cities 3 - I dont understand what he means by "be patient", if he means by serving on restaurants and such, then again, only a problem in the cities because too many foreigns (to the point that you can barely see portuguese people) 4 - eat with your hands as much as you want, just dont do it in a fancy restaurant maybe? also AGAIN, mostly foreign people give these reactions 5 - DO NOT go to cities not knowing about road rules, and if you dont know, the arrows on the ground are also obligatory in some cases, if you are on a parking lot and there's only one arrow pointing back on the road, it means you are on the wrong path, please just call a uber if you dont know these things 6 - U-turns... weird thing to nitpick about portugal, but you not only can you legally reverse ways on the road (if safely, meaning if anything happens you are too blame) but also I never see anyone angry about it, its just daily life to need to go back sometimes, just dont cut someone else path and give way before the manouver or else you risk to hurting yourself and other (no joke) 7 - On the highway you are OBLIGATED to ALWAYS be on the most right lane, this is not Portuguese road rules, this is european, if you pass someone by the right on a highway, congratulations, you committed a crime, and thus why people get mad if you stay on the most left IF YOU ARE SLOW 8 - pretty sure this dude approched women on purpose and with second intentions and got surprised women got weirded out lol, there's people asking for information everywhere, everyday, if you dont act like a weirdo, people dont treat you like such...? my boyfriend is french, asking for information all the time in english or bare minimum portuguese and never got this reaction 9 - nah, you found the karren, ignore and move on 10 - I guess? 11 - you will mostly only see drunk people at night near bars and such, but of course nothing is a golden rule, as long as you dont bother anyone, people wont care if you are drunk on the park 12 - some places dont accept credit card, if you are on the cities then it shouldnt be a problem, but otherwise yes, always have cash with you, it might sound scary for a tourist but portugal is a very safe place compared to most countries, even in the city so many hot takes I could cook a Francesinha no forno
Dave, the reason why elderly people in Portugal typically don't speak English is rooted in the fact that French was the second language taught in schools during their youth.
Dave, just found your channel, and very grateful! My wife is Portuguese and we return every year or two to a house in Sao Martinho do Porto and have found your vids excellent. I will be seeing the Algarve for the first time this year, staying in Portimao/Praia da Rocha.
Bom dia. Sou portuguesa. A grande maioria das coisas que falou aqui neste vídeo, são corretas. No entanto, outras, nem por isso. - Numa estrada estreita e de sentido único, não há como voltar atrás. É melhor seguir em frente. - Nunca fazer reversão de marcha numa estrada muito movimentada e com pouco espaço para o fazer. Considerar sempre a hipótese de tentar encontrar um local apropriado para o fazer (tipo uma entrada particular ou rotunda ou local indicado na estrada para fazer inversão de marcha. - Existem bastantes restaurantes informais em Portugal, onde se pode comer com as mãos. Mas por favor, lavem as mãos primeiro. - As mulheres portuguesas, não gostam de ir na rua e ouvir cantadas foleiras por parte dos homens, sejam portugueses ou estrangeiros. - Uma parte da população portuguesa é constituída por estrangeiros que não sabem falar inglês, nomeadamente, brasileiros, angolanos, moçambicanos, de São Tomé e Príncipe, dos países de leste (Ucrânia, Moldávia, etc), entre outros. - As mulheres e homens mais velhos ainda são muito respeitados pelos portugueses, por isso nada de ser desagradáveis. - A lei portuguesas diz que só se pode vender álcool a maiores de 18 anos. Seja em supermercados, restaurantes ou outros estabelecimentos comerciais. - O calçado que se calça é muito importante, já que quase todos os lugares onde há algo para ver, há calçada portuguesa simples ou não. - Os portugueses gostam de comer sardinha assada na brasa em cima de uma fatia generosa de pão com as mãos. Durante o verão existem muitos festivais de sardinha assada por todo o país. Divirtam-se! - Existe uma rivalidade muito profunda entre portugueses e espanhóis desde o século XI ou XII, por causa da fundação de Portugal. BJS Sónia Ferreiro
Eu adoro comer sardinhas e tambem adoro peixe frito com molho de vilão ! Isto não se como com garfo!!! Uma coisa que odeio são pessoas que não sabem entrar e sair nas rotundas 😂😂😅😅..
I can add a few more that should be on your list. #1 (This one should also be in every american living in europe list of what not to do and never is) when driving through an intersection you have to give the right away to all cars on your right. While driving in Europe, the cars on your right always have the rightaway, unless there's a stop sign for the car on your right. It doesn't matter who got first to the intersection. Nobody cares if you got there first if you are on their left they will pass first. This rule is the exact the opposite if you are on a roundabout. #2 never point your index finger at someone if your talking to someone else. It's very rude in Portugal to point at someone. #3 do not use your sports caps while sitting at a table having a coffee or a meal. It's very rude and disrespectful everywhere but americans do it a lot. Caps or any sorts of hats are for the outside while in the weather not inside and least restaurants. Again: give priority to your right, don't point your fingers and don't wear hats while at tables, churches, etc.
so i have a shop and i noticed most tourists dont know the difference between a credit and a debit card, and they just stare at me when i ask what type of card they are using to pay cause i need to input that info in the cashier, id say most portuguese use debit while most americans use credit
This guy know his shit! I’m portuguese, and he nailed every point. There’s a exeption for the number 4, as In a shopping center, its not impolite to eat with your hands, but if you do it on a proper restaurant it is impolite.
Hi. This video is pretty much spon on. Just one note about the last item: when entering a restaurant, check the door while outside. You might find the logos of the accepted cards for payment glued on it. Along Multibanco, Visa and Mastercard are common.
Correction, not just the younger generations speak English, ny parents, 76 years old do to. And the main reason is movies and music, we mainly listen and watch English ones. And at school you have to choose one language and you will end up learning two, English and French!
As a German that lives in Portugal for a few years, I want to tell you: In rural areas (I live in central-north Portugal), it is likely that natives don't speak a single word English, elderly aswell as young people. Understanding the Portuguese is very difficult and many of them don't even try for one sentence to speak a little bit slower for you, even if you tell them to do so. They don't try to be mean to you or so, actually they are very kind and friendly. It's more likely (I think), that they just can't imagine at all how it feels to not be able to speak and understand their language fluently. I unterstand normal Portuguese in the written form by I'd say 90%, but when they speak Portuguese with standard "high-Portuguese" pronunciation, like in television, that number can drop down to about 10%. To all the Portuguese people reading this comment: I absolutely adore your country! Every single person I've met so far is super nice and makes me feel welcome! And the infrastructure is also very good. Just the language.. is very difficult in every aspect. Little edit: I'm a guest here, so of course I respect the Portuguese culture and the rules; the language is part of that. Furthermore I don't expect any Portuguese to learn English or something to be able to communicate with foreigners who can't speak their language. Not at all. I'm giving my best to integrate as best as possible.
Just an important aspect regarding the number 12. There's some places that have Multibanco but don't accept all sort of cards (international ones like Revolut for example) and this is due to the fact that not everyone has the need to have contracts in their Multibanco system for all sort of cards as this would cost more money for them. This usually happens in places with less tourism for example. Also, there's some other places where the minimum amount to pay by card would be around 5 euros (there's no law for that but places make the decision of not accepting less than that) and that once again is related to how much they pay for fees for small amounts. For the number 8, I totally agree with that when it's related to flirting or appraching in a strange way like that in public. Unless you are in places like bars, nightclubs and see that probably they are into you, it's seen with bad eyes approaching women like that. Nowadays, people prefer dating apps for that. However, it's perfectly normal approaching women to ask for directions or for any ither particular help.
I'm naturally a formal type of lady. (My sisters still tease me about it.) But I like eating pizza with a fork and knife, etc. I liked the formality of the Portuguese people. I also happen to be part Portuguese by DNA.
For all the people saying the fork and knife thing isn't true, yes it is... No, you don't use fork and knife to eat McDonalds or Pizza Hut and the like nor some bifana in a café, but in a proper pizzeria or some fancy hamburgueria, yes you do, for the most part. And in restaurants in general, you if stick your paw in the plate you will absolutely get the "javardo" look from someone. I totally get what Dave's trying to say.
Maybe not hamburguers ans bifana, because those are designed to be eaten with your hands, but all the rest is much much easier to eat with knife and fork.
Excuse me, but as Portuguese I can assure you that what you just said is false. I have never been judged for eating pizza (for example) with my hands in any restaurant.
Great compilation. I would like to add that is prohibited to overtake from the right in Portugal. I know it’s a common practice in the States and legally there’s nothing wrong with it, however in Portugal it’s a very severe infraction, thus the law for the left lane on highways. I think it’s one the things that shock me the most about driving in the States.
And on the driving note, in Portugal (/Europe) you have to have a reflective triangle and colete, to place on the road and wear in case of an accident or anomaly with your vehicle. The law about this changes often but last time I checked you’re expected to exit the vehicle with the reflective colete on (so keep it under the seat).
Canadians are almost as bad as Americans at traveling in the passing lane and passing on the right (at least here in southern Ontario) - I wish those rules were enforced here and in the US.
The last one might missleading. Multibanco is actually the network of Portuguese credit/debit cards, similar to Visa or Mastercard. There are a considerable ammount of places which only take national cards, the fees are lower to them, not international. You should ask specifically if they take Visa/Mastercard or Amex or Discovery or whatever card you have. Most places accept Visa and Mastercard, but Amex and Discovery not so much. You should ask: "Do you take international card? Aceita cartão estrangeiro?"
What you mentioned is, roughly, one of the important rules in Portugal: it can be summed up in one rule: "be polite". You did not mention: do not brag; do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention. If you disagree with someone, there is a rather involved way of saying so: something akin to "it might, however, be argued that...". The younger generation do eat pizzas with their hands, and fries, when served in American inspired takeaways, have to be eaten that way, although even then plastic forks and knifes are usually provided. An important rule: the Portuguese are extremely self-critical. However, if you are a foreigner, do not, ever, criticize the country of your hosts. In fact, you might be living in Portugal for decades; as long as your accent betrays your foreign origin, never criticize Portugal, even if your Portuguese friends do it.
@@enibeni2071 It is not about xenophobism (although there are example of racism all over the world and portugal is part of this same world). I think you will find that this type of double standard is not particular to Portugal and it is very common in many countries all around the world. And it isn't even limited to countries. I will exemplify here the idea with the Portuguese case. The double standard is about national and cultural proudness. Note that It isn't a kind of political nationalism. Since for example and mostly in the "younger" generations (at least less than 40 years) there is a strong feeling of a kind of globalist/humanist tendency as is normal in most of Europe. A good analogy is like in an extended family where there is strong internal criticism/rivalry between the members but they easily unite against external apparent criticism. It isn't a rational reaction, but It can be a "natural" one. Remembering the mention of the spanish language in the video. You can see another example of it in the rivalry of portuguese with spanish. There is a very very old history of constant rivalry between the two, but fortunately rarely enmity. But at the same time that a portuguese can easily criticise the spanish, it is also normal to argument for them against other countries even if it is obvious that the spanish side is the weaker party. They are after all "our hermanos" (our brothers). There are many such cases in portuguese culture even between the different portuguese provinces for example. To give another idea for the double standard, here is an old portuguese proverb that illustrate the feeling: "roupa suja não se lava em público" Which translate to "dirty clothes are not washed in public"
"do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention" OMG man, all my neighbours and work colleagues talk like they are on the forest, alone. the portugueses talk alot and loud and always they want to be the centre of the universe.
one rule: "be polite". You did not mention: do not brag; do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention. This is extremely difficult for Americans. They are naturally loud. We say we hear Americans looonnnng before we see them. And they do tend to talk a lot about themselves. Also, if someone does speak English, do not assume it is American English. English taught in schools is usually British English. " Yeah, y´know, I guess, it´s like .sorta, kinda" American talking without saying anything can be irritating even confusing.
As a portuguese I can say that it is pretty much correct except for a couple of things, first is the "don't eat with your hands" we do eat with our hands when it comes to stuff like pizza and hamburguers, french fries depends on the place, in a fast food place is totally fine but basically if it comes in a plate is to be eaten with fork and knife. About the fast lane, YES! when you learn to drive here you are thaught to stay the most you can to the right, only go to the middle and the fast lane when you need to pass but after that go back to the right lane!
Multibanco (MB) is a Portuguese network only, for portuguese Cards. Many stores only have MB and doesn't accept International VISA/Mastercard, because MB has lower fees for them. You should always ask if they accept VISA and not MB, for a foreign card.
Good job!! 😊 You took some really good aspects of our culture. I think the most important one is do not think everyone knows English or Spanish! My mother's generation did not learn English at school so they will appreciate if you try to speak in portuguese and they will kindly help you with it 🙏 As for U-turns, some places in Portugal have one way street so if you try to make it, it can be dangerous. Pay attention to the signs and do not panic, you will find small villages in between where you can make your turn 😉 As for eating with your hands, in some fancy restaurants you will might not be allowed to but in your daily life if it's a pizza, chicken, a burger you can eat it as you would like being with the fork and a knife or with yours bare hands, no own will judge you. Lastly, do not be righteousness, I guess no one likes when foreigners think that they deserve better just because they are visiting, just be humble and enjoy our country 😁
Joana unless your mother only did 4 years of schooling she must have been taught French and then English and sometimes even German. My parents did all of that in high school and they are now 75.
@@klimtkahlo My mother only was taught French in school because in that time there wasn't English taught in school. Nonetheless, that is not my point, my point is not everyone has an obligation to know English and not everyone had the same schooling as me and you, so when someone comes to Portugal it is nice to pay attention to that detail 🙏🙏
HI, i am Portuguese and i have been watching u for a while. i wanted to thank you for talking about my country. btw, we only eat pizza or other stuff with a fork when the restaurant is 'fancy'.
Last one is partially correct. Multibanco however does not stand for international cards! Multibanco is for national cards (even if they are visa/mastercard) some vendors will accept national debit/credit card, but if you try to use an international card you might get refused (revolut for example). If you’re coming from abroad ask if the vendor accepts international cards. This will happen more often when travelling to outside of lisbon/porto. Other than that great video! Keep it up!
The left lane one isnt only in portugal, at least most of europe is that way and even in the US there are some states that have similar laws, they just arent followed or enforced much
Liked it as 100% Portuguese I think that for a person from another country you pronounced the Portuguese words very well!! Tugas acho que todos estamos de acordo abraço
I will go to Portugal very soon with my job and seeing this helped me a lot,also i started learning Portugese for a least conversation. Thank you for your advice dear sir!!
I have family from the UK and when they came to Portugal to visit me they ate with their hands and to me it just seemed so weird. Idk how normal that is in the UK, but unless you’re eating a burger or pizza, I wouldn’t recommend doing that lol. It makes you look stupid. But yeah burger, pizza and fries is actually fine
👌🏼❤️🇵🇹❤️It is a lovely video. Very true. I am Portuguese, living in a foreign country for many years. Still cannot comprehend why your 12 points (which is normal to me), is an issue to others. And yes, a man must not approach me for no good reason. One can tell the difference between a sincere direction query, from the majority arrogant westernized brutes. The last one got slapped with my briefcase (as my strong hand was too busy holding it). So be warned, enter my space at your own risk. And always be polite, be respectful❣️
In Portugal you can address a woman respectfully and ask for directions. However, if there are men and woman you should address the group and continue the dialogue with the person who answered your question...
Your videos are very accurate. I'm a well-travelled born and raised Portuguese and I concur with most of the comments you make. And some of them make me laugh, but oh boy are they accurate!
You can approach Portuguese women in public, I used to do it all the time before getting married. It depends on the context, on the girl and on your sensibility, both the way you make your approach and to the social norms (and it is important to know these). For instance, if your sitting at a café by yourself and you see the girls also sitting by herself and you made eye contact and she isn't avoiding you or didn't gave you a "stay away" look, you may try to make conversation. But always be polite and don't invade her space. Keep enough distance between you and the girl, till you understand you may advance. The secret in Portugal is being polite and intelligent. If you make an approach that cries out "I want to go to bed with you" or cringe-romantic, probably you won't be very successful. Basically, just give her breathing space, be polite and try to surprise her, and you will probably be fine. And usually we give a lot of slack to foreigners ... just don't be plain rude.
As someone who married a Portuguese woman they’re impossible no matter how you approach them. Going to Portugal was the biggest mistake I ever made, second was marrying a Portuguese woman.
@@miked2075 Seriously? Have you ever marry a woman of other nationality? Only if you did you can determine that Portuguese women are the worst... Could it be your approach? Just saying...
Many food items are actually meant to be eaten with the hands, mainly two groups in general: imported bread-based food (burgers, pizza, hot dogs, kebabs...) and grilled boned meat (frango de churrasco, tirinhas/entrecosto, etc) I always used a knife and fork for some of the latter and got weird looks so, there you go. Sandwiches in general are obviously also okay.
Great video, love the effort behind all this info. Just a couple of notes: if you want an "espresso", just ask for a "café" or a "bica" (pronounced beeka). About u-turns, they are totally legal, they just take a little more time and effort if you're in a narrow road, that's it. And you cannot do them if you have to cross a lane separation line (the solid one that separates both ways) or right before a turn or intersection, for obvious reasons. Also regarding roads and driving, a fundamental law is to always drive on the rightmost lane.
The word Bica is not always recognised. I live in Madeira, where a coffee is indeed called a bica, but when I ordered coffee arriving at the airport in Lisbon, I asked 'uma bica e uma chinesa (the Portuguese version of a cappucino) and the barista had no clue what I wanted, until someone shouted from the kitchen "são da Madeira e querem um café e um meio de leite¨, meaning 'they are from Madeira and they want an espresso and a cappucino´. We had a good laugh.
Portugal is the most welcoming, tolerant country. I should know, given the fact that I have lived here for 33 years. I have never been mistreated or disrespected by anyone and love everything about the country. Speaking the language fluently has opened up so many great opportunities for me. I've even got my own cemetery space reserved for when I shuffle off this mortal coil.
Many things in Portugal are eaten with hands, sardines, small fried fish, grilled chicken and other bony meats fries and pizza for example. Not all restaurants and shops accept all cards, specially the small ones, it really depends on the contract these shops have with the bank, usually only big supermarket chains and petrol stations accept ALL cards.
As for nr 7, totally!!!! It is against driving rules to use the left/fast lane unless you are passing other vehicle. Nr 8 I don't fully agree 🙄 Portuguese women are approachable, but do it respectfully and if you get the "not interested" vibe, well, most likely she is not actually interested 😅 If so, don't be persistent or annoying. Welcome to our amazing country, Dave! Hope you enjoy our culture 👌🏻
Very small notes: 1 - A man always thanks with "Obrigado" and a woman always thanks with "Obrigada" independently of the gender of his/her receiver. 2 - Some foods are mandatory to be eaten with your hands. For example sandes (sandwiches). Also, you will look weird if you go to Macdonald's or KFC and ask for a fork. And I have always eaten pizza with my hands. Here we use common sense, so if you go to a high-end restaurant ( even if it's a pizzeria ), of course, you need to eat with a fork and knife. 3 - You can make u-turns every time you don't have a single or double lane and space to do it safely. Don't forget to use the turn signals too. 4 - You can approach women in public ( this is not an Arab country... ) but do it in a chivalry manner. Perhaps you will be surprised what manners can do. Nevertheless is nice to know what foreigners think about our culture, so nice video! Welcome to Portugal.
That about the "do not eat with your hands" it's for Lisbon or a city of "rich" people 😂 I'm portuguese, but I'm from the south of Portugal, from a rural localization, and we have the habit of eat with our hands. And when I go to Lisbon and I'm eating pizza, or burger or stuff like that, I eat with my hands, and indeed they look weirdly to me 😂😂😂 but I don't care, I'm a mountaineer, I practice my savege habits wherever I go 😂
For U-turns, you can do it but there's a specific way to do it, i would advise if you're moving to live here i recomend some driving lessons just to get to know some specific ways of driving
Just for reference multibanco is our network of ATMs. The payment terminal device is just like anywhere else but we mostly call multibanco because of the atm machines. The ATM associated to Portuguese banks belong to that system such as any terminal with a bank layout. The system is different than normal bank payments in other ATMs or POS
I just loved to see how funny it is cus I was driving down the A9 today and you post a vídeo with the A9 in here, well! I hope you are enjoying our country, boa noite ;D
Pretty accurate.. but there are other foods that are acceptable to eat with your hands. You can’t eat frango assado with a knife and fork for example, but eating fish dishes and sardines especially has to be using a knife and fork! Great content as usual Dave.. thanks 🙏🏻
So to be clear and concise Portuguese people are more civilized than people who, eat with their hands, disobey signs for their own convenience, block traffic lanes as a power trip, accost women they don't know, are polite to elderly women, wear proper footwear and are not sloppy drunks. So basically don't act like an American. In Japan they have pink sofa's on their trains with a sign in English only that says: "This seat is for elderly persons only." No need to explain it to their own citizens.
ahahah lovely to see people from another country being happy and fascinate with portugal! I love travel, but, as a portuguese woman, yes portugal is an amazing place! ::)
I was laughing when he mentioned do not eat with your hands in certain situations. I spend a lot of time in Brazil over the last few years and they are like that too in many ways. I'm looking forward to my trip to Portugal....
I am of portuguese roots and raised in switzerland. I go to portugal every year to visit my family and I really hope that you are enjoying your trip. However, we do eat pizza, burgers and fries with our hands 😂!!! And also the rule about passing is also true in switzerland and I think also most countries in europe.... and also for women, I guess it also depends on the person, and how you aproach them... of course if I am in a visible hurry or something I'd be anoyed if someone talks to me (unless to say I dropes something haha) but otherwise if I am just chilling and someone talks to me, in a polite manner I don't think I would be so annoyed. Kisses from a portuguese from switzerland
With very few exceptions (on street standing kiosks, foreign chain fast food restaurants, etc.), all restaurants in Portugal provide the clients with tables and cutlery (this is not the case if you're standing at a café, eating a small snack, like a pastel de nata). If cutlery is provided at a restaurant, you should use it. Doing otherwise is considered disrespectful for the establishment (that wants clients to use cutlery in order to keep the place clean). Also, making an effort to follow rules is seen as a sign of politeness and a way of showing respect to others. So, if you don't make that effort, people won't appreciate it (even if, given the Portuguese live and let live mindset, they don't usually show it). In very specific circumstances, if you're struggling with the use of knife and fork (like eating certain seafood, for example) it is OK to use your hand, provided you do it in a parsimonious way. And before you do it, it is considered polite to warn the people you're eating with that you're going to use your hand by saying, for instance, something like "if you don't mind, now I'm going to use my hands for this bit".
As a person from the north of Portugal, most of these things seem to be more of a lisbon thing, here in the north no one gives a shit about most of these things except the road issues and that kind of stuff, we're very passionate about driving...
Don't eat with your hands? Try eating a king prawn with knife and fork. Or asparagus. Or a chicken leg... As with most rules, there are exceptions. In this case it all depends whether you have the necessary elegance required to do it properly.
When you go to a restaurant with your friends/family, you eat your greasy chicken leg with your hands and then before picking up your glass, you wipe on the same napkin you use on your mouth so it becomes greasy, or do you get everything you touch dirty with grease? Wiuldnt it be much easier to just use fork and knife?
Very important suggestion regarding driving on highways. You must drive on the right most lane. Do not drive in the middle lane if there's no one on the right. It's illegal to overtake on the right, so if you hog on the middle lane you are effectively rendering the right lane useless. Please drive on the right most lane unless you are overtaking. Also, follow this rule even if you are driving fast, chances are that someone faster than quickly approaches and stats tailgating you.
If we really would follow that rule, women here would only date their cousins because nobody would ever approach them. The secret is: If you are a tourist (dressed like a tourist, burned like a tourist, drunk like a tourist and loud like a tourist), don't go for the classy ones. They are not much into hook-ups down here. But you'll always find some easy to catch chicks who are just waiting to get banged by a foreigner.
Funny thing is HALF of these things apply to many or most countries -- like driving in the "fast" lane (in the US, that's the left lane as is probably the case in most countries that drive on the righthand side of the road). Some of the others like U-turns unless specified and respecting elders as well (In the US itis also illegal -- in most states at least -- to make a U-turn unless there is a sign that says you can). Now that I think of it, a foreigner coming to the US may be a bit more confused with some laws, as some laws apply to some states but not all.
As a brazilian It´s weird see people from England and USA eating sandwiches with bare hands. We in Brasil use a paper hankderchief to hold sandwiches..and sometimes a toothpick to pick french fries or another finger food.
Portuguese people also eat that way, in general. However,t depends on your upbringing or attitude...We can never say that all Portuguese behave this or that way, in the same way as one cannot say that all Americans or Brazilians act or behave exactly the same...I have seen all kinds of Portuguese, Brasilians or Americans (these are just examples, of course) doing this or that...
Hi! I'm portuguese and live in Lisbon. I don't get the part that it's rude to eat with your hands. That's all. Yes you see some people eating with fork but it's not o rule only if you go to high restaurants.
Making U turns in busy roads is against the rules, but not a problem in less busy toads. You do need to learn how to do a three point turn efficiently, though.
Listen, when it comes to eating food with your hands there's a time and place, for example, if your eating with your friends it's fine, if your at a barbacue it's fine, if your eating charcuterie and sea food it's fine but, when it comes to restaurants it depends, some of them you can eat with your hands, like fast food restaurant, but if your not sure, the best thing you can do is check how other people are eating. It is not true that we don't eat with our hands or that we find it weird however in most "fancy" restaurants you will eat with fork and knife even if it's pizza.
I don't think i've ever seen people eat burguers here with a fork and a knife XD even pizza as well. Fries only if they belong to a wider dish, otherwise ( like fastfood ) you use your hands. Otherwise, i pretty much agree with what you said hehe Any questions just ask
Na realidade a pizza tradicionalmente era comida com garfo e faca. Em Itália é assim, e nos restaurantes tradicionais italianos é assim também. A moda de comer a pizza com a mão vem dos EUA, e especialmente em cadeias de restaurantes como a Pizza Hut ou a Mr. Pizza.
@@diogorodrigues747 Essa não sabia! Mas estava a falar mais da minha experiência enquanto tuga, no geral pizzarias usamos as mãos, excepto aquelas mais fancy diria
Just as a quick note. It's totally normal to eat stuff like burgers, pizza, etc... with your hands in Portugal. Some places are fancy, and most pizza places offer the option in case you want to eat it like that. But by no means is it impolite or not ok to not do so, that's how most people eat it.
True
I second this motion, it's quite the very Time Place Occasion sort of thing.
Not that simple. If you get a girlfriend from "good families" and you are dining with their parents, do use fork and knife for everything, even eating shrimp. If you are eating pizza or burger with friends, no one will bat an eye if you eat it with your hands.
Most definitely, you gotta know where you are in order to decide this, personally, I'll eat all of the mentioned foods with my hands unless I'm at a much fancier place
@@cinidevil True
If you are an elderly person, someone with a disability or a person accompanied by a baby, you have the right, by law, to get ahead of the queues.
That is true, and almost everyone complies, even Karens tend to comply! However, it's polite to still ask (as I said, most people will comply) or you may get evil comments and side eyes
@@anabarbara7706 yeah, and sometimes you can just be oblivious and have one of the above sitting behind you giving you stares and whatnot when they could just politely ask you if they could get ahead (because they have the right to do so)
@@anabarbara7706 Karens = Koreans?
@Natasha Banky I meant Karens like the ones we see on the internet sometimes ^^ Meaning, people who think they're entitled and always right, and that no one else has the right to anything because the right is theirs. Even that type of people tends to comply to the queue priority rules
@@anabarbara7706 Oh, I haven't heard of that term before. Thank you for explaining the meaning. :)
#1 is what annoys me the most. It's like we don't exist as a country and some people think that just because we're near Spain that means we're basically the same. It's super disrespectful, especially when considering we had to fight for centuries to *not* be subjugated by Spain
same thing here
Agreed
We're literally the oldest standing country in Europe, and yet people still think we're a Spanish province.
@@aureousCopycat uh, we have the oldest borders, but we are not the oldest standing country
Portugal was an independent kingdom with borders, language, culture, long before the word Spain was invented. The cultures are very different: when Portuguese fight they want to make a point, when Spaniards fight they want to kill. Because of intermarriages of the monarchy Spain always "eyed" Portugal. But even as a republica, as recently as 1940's under Franco, Spain had plans to invade Portugal, a neutral cou try during the WWII... Portugal and England have the oldest alliance agreement in the world, still in effect. Under that alliance, England would assist Portugal against Spain, if such invasion were to take place.
About doing U turns, it's entirely acceptable, you just have to know your 3 point maneuver and signal properly, like you mentioned in a different video, people don't really signal (unfortunately) but as long as you signal and do the maneuver quickly. Another tip I can tell you is that if someone is behind you and you want to pull that U turn, signal like you're going to pull over to the side, let them pass, and then signal the maneuver and make your turn
Edit: Make sure to always thank people by waving your hand at them, it mitigates the impatient driver's anger *typically*
I think it also highly depends on where and when. Most often you shouldn't because of continuous lines, one ways or a upcoming roundabout. In a situation like Dead End parking zone with 0 free parking spots its 100% ok to do a U turn if the street allows you to.
@@tukimicetkagree. I see too many drivers doing u-turns on national roads etc. even with indicating that is dangerous or even annoying. They could just go on a little more and turn to a side road and turn there.
The Portuguese are very polite and civil people and it's always a joy going there. I especially love the north of the country. Yes, learning some Portuguese phrases can go a long way, and it's such a beautiful language so it's worth doing. Coming from Ireland, one thing I like is that you won't see local people out at night falling around drunk. It feels so much safer and pleasant. If you do they're probably foreigners on holiday, but please don't treat Portugal like a giant holiday camp. Have some respect for the culture, be polite and considerate to others, and you will be made feel very welcome. Much love to our Portuguese friends. ♥
Thank you for the kind words my friend
Totally agree!!! Well said!!! Portugal 🇵🇹 is a beautiful country and the people are ever so nice and friendly!!! Was there on holiday in April and had a wonderful time, didn't want to come back home to the UK. I love the lingo too and still learning it.
Thank you so much for your words, friend. I wish more people thought like you, and were open minded. Glad you like our culture, and had a great experience here. Love from Portugal 🇵🇹🤝🇮🇪
Portuguese here! For me, the worst any foreigner can do is act like they belong to a superior race...that gets my red Portuguese blood boiling... Do your "smartass" number with me, and you are done...
The other day a woman started talking to me on the street, in what she thought was "Spanish", it's not the Spanish I mind, but her friend said "She doesn't understand you!" to which I replied in English: "No Madam, it's the way you addressed me that is wrong... What about "Good morning" or "Could you please help me?".
Going to a country and thinking the people there are dumb and witless is a big no-no.
Portuguese women are Spicy! Do not play them! Actually don't play any Portuguese! Enjoy that Portuguese Mustard, respect it and learn from it!
😂❤🇵🇹
How do you act like you belong to a superior race i wonder? 🤣
Sim,mas aceitas tudo o que os negros fazem,quem me dera que o mal que fizessem era nao dizer bom dia,se a pele for mais escura aceitas tudo e estás caladinha
How is that thinking you're dumb, maybe she thought you didn't know the language.. Or maybe you look like a bum. So many reasons.
Hmmm..it's ironic like many Portuguese people behave just like that towards Brazilians! I've seen many situations..
Португалците са може би най-милите хора, които съм срещала в Европа. Същевременно горди с историята си. Обичам страна ви! Сърдечно от България!
Я, българин! Какви други впечатления / истории имаш от Португалия? Имам интерес към страната и португалците. Благодаря!
@@lsdengo1589 Посетете Португалия и няма да съжалявате. Богата култура, история, архитектура, природа, вкусна морска храна и любезни хора. От Пловдив, България
Thanks for the compliment ❤🇵🇹
@@Littlewhite69🥰
@@Марта-й7е 🇵🇹😘😘🇧🇬
As an actual Portuguese, here are the tips :
Never criticize Portugal, and always respect the country and the Portugueses.
No speaking loud in the street or bad attitudes.
We do not expect foreigners to speak our language, if you try speaking Portuguese it's great obviously.
Most important, stay calm, if there is no danger, there's no need to make a scene.
Portugal is Beautiful and people are very friendly. I loved my trip to Lisbon 🎉❤
От пътуването ми в Португалия установих, че местните са едни от най-приятните и любезни хора, които съм срещала в Европа. Хора с достойнство и внимателни към гостите. Цялостно имам прекрасни спомени от страната! Благодаря ти Португалия! Сърдечно от България
Hahah, good point, however Portuguese are very passionate and often speak loudly as well, not in an aggressive manner but loud nonetheless.
@@mokeyandabandit Чуй испанците колко са шумни. Честно казано трудно понасям южняшкия им темперамент. Иначе са готини.
@@Марта-й7е say it in English or save your breath., qy4
I'm a German living in Spain. As far as my experiences with travelling in Portugal are concerned, I want to say the following. For speaking Spanish fluently, I thought it would be closer to the people to communicate with them in Spanish rather than English. I've learned that many Portuguese prefer speaking English so fine with me. I've made it a habit to ask them in my broken Portuguese what language to speak whether English, Spanish or French. It's definetely not a good idea to direct to Portuguese straight away in Spanish.
It's not that we dont understand Spanish, its very similar to PT and most of us actually do just fine. It's just that we are so fed up with being confused with Spain, especially by americans, that when someone immediately assumes we speak spanish kinda pisses us off... Your approach is definitely the way to go. Spanish and English will get you by almost everywhere. French is a bit less common.
There's the whole history rivalry with Spain to consider... We get along fine with Spanish people and understand the language quite well, but we do demand respect for our own culture...
@hotscorpion. Chill out. I'm from Switzerland and it still gets confused ( by the same kind of people who annoy you) with Sweden. They mean no harm. Deflate your ego
@@berits.2346 i know they mean no harm,but one thing is an honest mistake, another is just plain lack of minimal effort. Example, if i'm with someone outside of the country and they confuse it, it's fine. but when you voluntarily visit somewhere, the least you can do is google what language is spoken there and get some basic information about your destination. its 2023, people have the internet in their pocket. if someone cant be arsed to spend 1 minute looking it up, i can't have any respect for this sort of tourist. Especially, with Americans, infamously intolerant of the reverse situation. Some even demand to speak English everywhere else.
Now, if someone approaches me and at least ask me if i understand spanish, which I do, i am more than glad to help. it's all about the approach and whether its ignorant but still humble and respectful, or ignorant and entitled.
This makes no sense. The first tip. Don't speak Spanish I went to Portugal with a Spanish friend last summer. Through his language we have achieved everything. Eating at a local restaurant, being at the market, drinking coffee with local ones. With Spanish you achieve more than with English
Really happy to see a foreigner being respectful and actually trying to learn about portuguese culture and rules. Turists mostly come here to party hard away from responsibilities and most of the time just cause trouble, lots of noise and trash and overall seem like they are the kings and queens and that we, the locals, are just background views to serve them. Its so important to travel with conscience and willing to discover and learn about the country you are traveling to. Portugal in general really likes the fact that people want to come visit, its a nice thing that we can travel the world and get to know different people. Just be aware that while you are here on vaccations, having fun, the rest of us live here everyday, are trying to go to work and live ours lives and we appeciate if you dont make that difficult for us. Thank you for the videos, its so important that you share your knowledge and create awareness for better travelling practices. Subscribed 🔥
i agree with you most of your comment but never forget, theres a lot of Portuguese people who do the exact same, just by going out at night in common places like Bairro Alto, Baixa etc. Of course there's a lot of foreign people or turists there, just dont forget that among them are a lot of portuguese people
You can eat with your hands if you want, but it's not very common for us because we were taught that it doesn't look good to eat with your hands in public... but pizza burgers or fries (if not served on a plate) can be eaten with the hands also the "churrasco" 😉
That also depends on the pizzeria as well. In traditional Italian pizzerias pizzas are eaten without the hands, just like what's common in Italy. In American-style pizzerias (like Pizza Hut or Mr. Pizza) that's not the case.
E a bela da sardinha assada?
@@joaquimgoncalves9412 com pao ne
@@diogorodrigues747dont talk about things you dont know. Everyone eats pizza with hands here in italy, if you use fork you are considered weird.
@@focess5851 Really? Because in every single Italian restaurant here in Portugal you eat the pizza with fork and knife.
Oh and if you find yourself in a Portuguese pavement during or right after raining ALWAYS try walk on the black stones, ( no, im not jocking lol ) the white cobblestones are like wet glass when it rains, the black ones offer better grip.
Anotado caro amigo. Obrigado pela informação
As my grandma says:
"If you're going to catcall a woman in Portugal, don't be surprised if she wacks out a wooden spoon at your face" and I think that's accurate 😂
oh my!
Only if the girls have cute little butts okay
That was the Mythical "Colher de Pau" but that was in our Grandmas Era. Now they're all digital influencers and don't even know how to cook. You gotta bring your own spoon! 😂
@@brixcosmo ahahah, spot on 😂👌
@@barbosa7797 😅👍
2:59
I wanted to elaborate on the number 4 here as a Portuguese myself, yes, our culture is very heavy on fork and knife, but it also depends on context and types of food, you can sometimes spot people eating hamburguers or pizas with the fork & knife if you go to a more fancy and expensive restaurant or the moment is very important as it is a way to show etiquette and respect, but if you're just going to mcdonalds, pizza hut, other fast food chains or hanging out with friends, we actually do eat certain foods with our hands for more ease, like pizzas, hamburguers, chicken legs, shrimps, etc.
It very much depends on wether you're in a situation where you're being more formal/respectfull or not.
Laughed really hard at the first thing 😂 yeah don't speak Spanish with us.
Something that I'd love to add though: knife and fork arr widely used and considered more polite. However a lot of people do eat with their hands, specially burgers, pizza etc. It's not that uncommon.
but like my parents always said "em roma faz como os romanos" which translates to in Rome do as the Romans do which basically means to watch the surroundings and see what everyone is doing so as to not stand out
That depends on the place as well. In typical Italian pizzerias you don't eat the pizza with your hand...
@@diogorodrigues747 sure. I'm generalising. Typically people eat with their hands.
I for once do prefer to start off with the cutlery, then proceed to finish with my hands. Matter of taste by the end of the day
e frango assado xD
As Portuguese, I just want to add a few points:
1- Not speaking Spanish: There is no problem in speaking Spanish, the most important thing is to have "communication", there is only a rivalry between the Portuguese and the Spaniards that is easily understood if you know how the country "Portugal" was created .
2- Don't expect others to speak English: Yes, a lot of the older Portuguese population doesn't know English and other people from abroad like Brazil don't either, but sometimes it's just for lack of practice, because English is only spoken in school classes and never trains in real life so be a little patient with people because nobody is perfect, even i am aware that i make some syntactic errors even though i speak english for over 9 years (any problem, google translate can help a lot)
3-Don't be impatient: I have nothing to say about this one, it depends a lot on the number of employees and customers.
4- Do not eat with your hands: Attention, there is no rule that prohibits you from doing so, it is just good to know how to "read the restaurant's atmosphere", if you enter a pizzeria and see people eating in an "organized" way, it is respectful to the others follow the same pattern, but nothing prevents you from eating with your hands if that's easier, but then go to a toilet to wash your hands before starting your meal.
5- Do not drive one-way in a parking lot: If you want to drive in foreign countries where the driving rules are different, it is advisable to inform yourself about the rules and signs of the country where you are, because not everything is universal like the STOP sign .
6-Do not make U-turns: If you are going to do this, do it in the shortest possible time and only if there is the possibility of walking in the opposite direction, because it is useless to make a U-turn if it is a one-way road.
7- Do not stay in the fast lane: There are usually 3 lanes, the left lane is for those who want to walk at a minimum speed of 50~70 km/h, the middle one to pass the right lane and the left lane is only to walk very fast, but be careful, if the right side is empty it can be used as if it were the left side.
8- Do not approach women in public: Nothing to comment.
9-Do not disrespect elderly women: It's not just the ladies, gentlemen, they also come into this rule, the elderly deserve some sensitivity because they've been through a lot in this life and contain teachings that only age can provide, Respect others in the way who would like to be respected and don't turn a blind eye to their needs, because one day, you will be one of them.
10- Don´r forget good shoes: For those who want challenges, you can wear hard-soled shoes and try to climb the roads of Lisbon and Porto, but it is advisable to wear good shoes, because everything that goes up, comes down.
11- Don't drink like you do...: Portugal manufactures the most awarded wines and beers in the world, in addition to one of the strongest drinks in the world, Bagaço, so be careful with the alcoholic value that the drinks have, because you certainly don't have the Portuguese genes developed over the centuries to withstand such drinks.
12- Multibanco is already present in many places, but don't expect them to accept ATM in fairs and older restaurants.
I hope it helped :)
"Do not approach women in public: Nothing to comment"
I think this is an American thing
@@pauvermelho I just didn't write anything, because if I have difficulties I can't stop myself from asking a woman for some information, and as I didn't want to participate in just one side, I ended up not saying anything.
There's nothing wrong with asking a woman something, but in Portugal they are very protected and esteemed, that's why you keep a certain distance.
I think when he speaks about "approach" he's talking about flirting and asking for phone numbers, etc (it's getting to close too fast)
@@pauvermelho hooooooo i see now, It really could be that, I hadn't thought of that possibility, thanks :)
@@pauvermelho It's not just an American thing. Happens in many places, but it depends on which sort of women you're approaching,. As a Portuguese living abroad, it's just that the Portuguese women are insanely defensive or uppity regarding this. So, it's better to not play that game with Portuguese women. Though, I agree that approaching in the streets is always awkward. People are walking somewhere, they likely don't want to be stopped in their daily affairs by some random. Nevertheless, Portuguese women are not very friendly to most approaches in general.
Great fun video!
On the last one... Multibanco doesn't mean that they accept foreign cards, that simply mean they accept cards.
In Portugal they have their Multibanco system, which means Portuguese-issued cards, where they can process the payment cheaper than with VISA/Mastercards.
This is normally doubled up as a Visa card as well in the same card - but it matters in how many fees they pay to receive the payment from your card.
Typically in small transaction shops, like a pastelaria outside the bigger cities will only accept Portuguese-issued cards, as you pay only spend a few euros. Let's say you bought a pastel de nata and an expresso... The transaction might be €1,20...
If you pay on an international visa card it might me 3-5% fees + maybe €0,50 fee.. Removing their chance of keeping the prices low.
Also really matters if you are paying for the toll roads in rural area, they won't accept anything but a Portuguese Multibanco card... Not any foreign-issued cards.
Otherwise great efforts!
Just adding that Multibanco is an integrated network for Portuguese DEBIT cards. For Credit cards, you should look for the respective logos, like Visa, Mastercard... In most cases, if a place takes Multibanco, they will also take major Credit Cards, but it's not a given. When in doubt, ask.
@@pmrribeiro You can also get Multi banco credit cards which are accepted all the same places... I got one after I got tired of the debit cards being rejected on the planes :-)
Last time I was in Brussels was worst, they, neither debit cards they like we use. Cash, always cash...
@@joaosito68 Portugal is one of the countries where the use of bank cards is more prevalent. In Germany, for instance, they use cash a lot as well, very often 100 or 500 euro notes.
An expresso and a pastel de nata for 1,20€? You're kidding, right?
Number 7: the same applies to the middle lane! You're meant to drive on the right - always. If it's crowded and you've moved to the middle lane (and there are slower drivers in the middle lane), then you overtake them on the left lane - but only then!
And - since he said he wishes that were the law in other places - it's actually the law in most of the United States, that the left lane is only for passing. It's just that people do it anyway.... :)
For passing vehicles traveling below speed limit. If everyone is driving at the legal limit, of course their is no need to pass😉
I'm Portuguese and not eating with my hands is not strange, I eat pizza with my hands and sometimes french fries too, these kind of people who eat pizza with fork and knife are usually "gourmet" is completely normal to eat with your hands here 😉
Obs: I've never seen anyone eat hamburger with fork and knife, unless the burger. be too big
Deve depender das pessoas e das circunstâncias, não?
I've seen ppl eat olives with fork and knife. Was not a posh restaurant.
@@MARIADaSilva-dw9cs People are stupid...
Not being a neanderthal doesn't mean it's gourmet.
Não. Se eu comer pizza num restaurante como com faca e garfo (eu e a maioria das pessoas que vejo)
Very accurate video. Regarding the drinking culture, in Latin countries traditionally getting drunk in public was considered a loss of face, but that is changing with the younger generation. The Portuguese are also very tolerant of unruly children (but expect parents to do their job) and if you have children they will try to accommodate you as best as possible in any situation. In less formal situations you can eat some dishes with your hands, like small fried sardines or cod fritters, nobody cares... and yes, you can approach unknown women if you need help or information, or if you want to chit chat while waiting for the bus if the other person seems inclined, but Portuguese men tend to be very discreet with unknown women, so don't stare (even in summer at the beach), or obvious flirtation.
Kids were incredibly well mannered in the Acores. Really enjoyed my visit there. Portugal is a beautiful country.
The mainland, the Azorian arquipelago, and Madeira. All beautiful.
@@MARIADaSilva-dw9csThanks, my guy! Glad you enjoyed our beautiful country!
In Europe you cannot overtake on the right side, you must use the left side of the road. The exception is on urban roads where you can pass stopped traffic, or if you are going to turn right.
Not in France, im living in France and you don't need to stay on the right.
@@fabioelbichoTotally wrong 🤣 You MUST drive on the right lane. Don't immitate bad drivers.
(I'm french and portuguese)
@@fabioelbicho just because you should keep to the right and only use the left to overtake doesn't mean everyone actually does
As a Portuguese woman, I must say this is a really good video!!!
I just want to point out that it is completely normal to eat burgers, pizza and so on with your hands! But of course if you go to a fancy place, they definitely offer cutlery ~~ :P
Also don't feel pressured if you don't speak Portuguese, obviously if you do we'll be very honoured, but no problem.. we'll try to find a way to help/communicate, even if we need a translator! ^^
Thank you so much for the great video! Have a great day ~
Thanks alot.
As a Portuguese, I totally confirm these statements and corresponding advices.
This information is a precious contribution to the public hygiene in touristic times.
Be welcome and... polite.
He forgot the main thing... do not eat "Pastel de nata" with the spoon
I'm brazilian and I can say that you are 100% right when you said that brazilians don't speak english!
Porque são burros.
That's because many Brazilian people are just dumb, and this was said to me by a close Brazilian friend who worked for a Netflix call center in Lisbon and he received many stupid and dumb calls from other Brazilians
hold up...
We are currently in Portugal and had an amazing Brazilian waitress last night that spoke very good English. We complimented her on her English and left her a good tip. She asked my wife and I to come back again even to just say "Hi". We will go back to that restaurant!
@@kristinahylton5514 Thanks for that comment! I'm Brazilian living in Lisbon and appreciate when someone leaves us a compliment rather that criticizing the ones that had no chance to study English in Brazil. I feel privileged but majority of Brazilians come to Portugal for a better life and choose this Country specially because they can speak Portuguese :)
I am portuguese, living in the US for a few years, this is super accurate Dave, I am impressed!
Spent 2 months in Portugal and learnt quite a bit. People appreciated it.
It is very typical to eat sardines with your hands. For example, take a slice of bread and put the sardine on top and pick with your fingers. The bread will soak up the flavor of the sardine and the bread will be good after. And, it is ok to make U-turns. The typical way of doing so is to make sure you have space and then keep eye contact with the other drivers and ask for patience and then say thank you afterwards by waving your hand.
I ordered grilled sardine thinking I'd get the larger ones last week in Porto, but they were barely larger than those in a typical can here in the US. There was no way to each those with a knife and fork, and I saw others in the restaurant eating them with their hands.
I never eat sardines with my hands!
Hi, Dave. I'm brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro, and I'm planning to move to Portugal this year.
Some of these "don'ts" are don'ts also in Brazil and in most European countries (except speaking Spanish in Spain).
In Brazil we also speak Portuguese, not Spanish, and very few speak English properly.
Lane driving is an American thing. If you stick to the left lane on an German Autobahn, in a few seconds you'll have a Porsche reaching your tail at 200 km/h furiously blinking the lights while stepping on the brakes.
In Brazil, people also find it strange to eat touching food with owns hands. Sandwiches are held using paper napkins, and pizza is usually served the whole pie on a plate or tray.
Lá vem mais um..já nao basta arruinarem os seus paises ainda vêm arruinar os dos outros
It's totally fine to eat pizza or a burger with your hands. Other thing...some traditional dishes are supposed to be eaten with your hands, like sardinhas or frango assado.
That depends on the place. In typical Italian pizzerias generally you don't use your hands for eating the pizza, just like in Italy.
I don't eat frango assado com as mãos, unles I am at an extremely informal situation.
@@dudanunesbleff exato, só como frango assado com as mãos em casa, modo javardice total. 😂 Nos restaurantes como com talheres, por muito que me custe!
It's not called fast lane in Europe but overtaking lane/passing lane (faixa de ultrapassagem). In the whole of Europe you are supposed to stay on the right side at any speed until a slower vehicle appears that you might overtake on the left lane.
Loved this! Every thing I learn about this culture makes me love it more and more.
Lol, and here's me, a portuguese that eats with his hands, does u-turns frequently in small streets, cuts passages in parking lots and gets impatient when my coffee is 10min late. I think your other points applies to most normal countries. Highways are similar in the US and I assume you also respect your elderly women. Hooking up on the streets randomly is indeed strange and awkward around here, do it in a social group setting, clubs, events or app like tinder. You can speak english freely in the bigger cities, mostly everyone will understand you.
I am a Portuguese-American and I’ve been wanting to visit where my Family Lineage has came from. Thank you for posting. I’m 37 now and hope to visit soon.
hello I'm Portuguese, overhaul we just dont like to bother or get bothered, meaning we are very calm and light over most situations
as for my opinion on this:
1 - Yes, if you speak spanish to me it will get awkward, some people will make fun of you
2 - No, you can speak english BUT many young adults and teens dont know english, which are the ones likely to understand english, this is only a problem outside the big cities
3 - I dont understand what he means by "be patient", if he means by serving on restaurants and such, then again, only a problem in the cities because too many foreigns (to the point that you can barely see portuguese people)
4 - eat with your hands as much as you want, just dont do it in a fancy restaurant maybe? also AGAIN, mostly foreign people give these reactions
5 - DO NOT go to cities not knowing about road rules, and if you dont know, the arrows on the ground are also obligatory in some cases, if you are on a parking lot and there's only one arrow pointing back on the road, it means you are on the wrong path, please just call a uber if you dont know these things
6 - U-turns... weird thing to nitpick about portugal, but you not only can you legally reverse ways on the road (if safely, meaning if anything happens you are too blame) but also I never see anyone angry about it, its just daily life to need to go back sometimes, just dont cut someone else path and give way before the manouver or else you risk to hurting yourself and other (no joke)
7 - On the highway you are OBLIGATED to ALWAYS be on the most right lane, this is not Portuguese road rules, this is european, if you pass someone by the right on a highway, congratulations, you committed a crime, and thus why people get mad if you stay on the most left IF YOU ARE SLOW
8 - pretty sure this dude approched women on purpose and with second intentions and got surprised women got weirded out lol, there's people asking for information everywhere, everyday, if you dont act like a weirdo, people dont treat you like such...? my boyfriend is french, asking for information all the time in english or bare minimum portuguese and never got this reaction
9 - nah, you found the karren, ignore and move on
10 - I guess?
11 - you will mostly only see drunk people at night near bars and such, but of course nothing is a golden rule, as long as you dont bother anyone, people wont care if you are drunk on the park
12 - some places dont accept credit card, if you are on the cities then it shouldnt be a problem, but otherwise yes, always have cash with you, it might sound scary for a tourist but portugal is a very safe place compared to most countries, even in the city
so many hot takes I could cook a Francesinha no forno
Dave, the reason why elderly people in Portugal typically don't speak English is rooted in the fact that French was the second language taught in schools during their youth.
Dave, just found your channel, and very grateful! My wife is Portuguese and we return every year or two to a house in Sao Martinho do Porto and have found your vids excellent. I will be seeing the Algarve for the first time this year, staying in Portimao/Praia da Rocha.
Bom dia. Sou portuguesa. A grande maioria das coisas que falou aqui neste vídeo, são corretas. No entanto, outras, nem por isso.
- Numa estrada estreita e de sentido único, não há como voltar atrás. É melhor seguir em frente.
- Nunca fazer reversão de marcha numa estrada muito movimentada e com pouco espaço para o fazer. Considerar sempre a hipótese de tentar encontrar um local apropriado para o fazer (tipo uma entrada particular ou rotunda ou local indicado na estrada para fazer inversão de marcha.
- Existem bastantes restaurantes informais em Portugal, onde se pode comer com as mãos. Mas por favor, lavem as mãos primeiro.
- As mulheres portuguesas, não gostam de ir na rua e ouvir cantadas foleiras por parte dos homens, sejam portugueses ou estrangeiros.
- Uma parte da população portuguesa é constituída por estrangeiros que não sabem falar inglês, nomeadamente, brasileiros, angolanos, moçambicanos, de São Tomé e Príncipe, dos países de leste (Ucrânia, Moldávia, etc), entre outros.
- As mulheres e homens mais velhos ainda são muito respeitados pelos portugueses, por isso nada de ser desagradáveis.
- A lei portuguesas diz que só se pode vender álcool a maiores de 18 anos. Seja em supermercados, restaurantes ou outros estabelecimentos comerciais.
- O calçado que se calça é muito importante, já que quase todos os lugares onde há algo para ver, há calçada portuguesa simples ou não.
- Os portugueses gostam de comer sardinha assada na brasa em cima de uma fatia generosa de pão com as mãos. Durante o verão existem muitos festivais de sardinha assada por todo o país. Divirtam-se!
- Existe uma rivalidade muito profunda entre portugueses e espanhóis desde o século XI ou XII, por causa da fundação de Portugal.
BJS Sónia Ferreiro
Grande Sónia
inglês é que está quieta né? lol
Eu adoro comer sardinhas e tambem adoro peixe frito com molho de vilão ! Isto não se como com garfo!!!
Uma coisa que odeio são pessoas que não sabem entrar e sair nas rotundas 😂😂😅😅..
I can add a few more that should be on your list. #1 (This one should also be in every american living in europe list of what not to do and never is) when driving through an intersection you have to give the right away to all cars on your right. While driving in Europe, the cars on your right always have the rightaway, unless there's a stop sign for the car on your right. It doesn't matter who got first to the intersection. Nobody cares if you got there first if you are on their left they will pass first. This rule is the exact the opposite if you are on a roundabout. #2 never point your index finger at someone if your talking to someone else. It's very rude in Portugal to point at someone. #3 do not use your sports caps while sitting at a table having a coffee or a meal. It's very rude and disrespectful everywhere but americans do it a lot. Caps or any sorts of hats are for the outside while in the weather not inside and least restaurants.
Again: give priority to your right, don't point your fingers and don't wear hats while at tables, churches, etc.
so i have a shop and i noticed most tourists dont know the difference between a credit and a debit card, and they just stare at me when i ask what type of card they are using to pay cause i need to input that info in the cashier, id say most portuguese use debit while most americans use credit
This guy know his shit! I’m portuguese, and he nailed every point.
There’s a exeption for the number 4, as In a shopping center, its not impolite to eat with your hands, but if you do it on a proper restaurant it is impolite.
Hi. This video is pretty much spon on. Just one note about the last item: when entering a restaurant, check the door while outside. You might find the logos of the accepted cards for payment glued on it. Along Multibanco, Visa and Mastercard are common.
Correction, not just the younger generations speak English, ny parents, 76 years old do to. And the main reason is movies and music, we mainly listen and watch English ones. And at school you have to choose one language and you will end up learning two, English and French!
As a German that lives in Portugal for a few years, I want to tell you: In rural areas (I live in central-north Portugal), it is likely that natives don't speak a single word English, elderly aswell as young people.
Understanding the Portuguese is very difficult and many of them don't even try for one sentence to speak a little bit slower for you, even if you tell them to do so.
They don't try to be mean to you or so, actually they are very kind and friendly. It's more likely (I think), that they just can't imagine at all how it feels to not be able to speak and understand their language fluently.
I unterstand normal Portuguese in the written form by I'd say 90%, but when they speak Portuguese with standard "high-Portuguese" pronunciation, like in television, that number can drop down to about 10%.
To all the Portuguese people reading this comment: I absolutely adore your country! Every single person I've met so far is super nice and makes me feel welcome! And the infrastructure is also very good. Just the language.. is very difficult in every aspect.
Little edit: I'm a guest here, so of course I respect the Portuguese culture and the rules; the language is part of that. Furthermore I don't expect any Portuguese to learn English or something to be able to communicate with foreigners who can't speak their language. Not at all.
I'm giving my best to integrate as best as possible.
Just an important aspect regarding the number 12. There's some places that have Multibanco but don't accept all sort of cards (international ones like Revolut for example) and this is due to the fact that not everyone has the need to have contracts in their Multibanco system for all sort of cards as this would cost more money for them. This usually happens in places with less tourism for example. Also, there's some other places where the minimum amount to pay by card would be around 5 euros (there's no law for that but places make the decision of not accepting less than that) and that once again is related to how much they pay for fees for small amounts.
For the number 8, I totally agree with that when it's related to flirting or appraching in a strange way like that in public. Unless you are in places like bars, nightclubs and see that probably they are into you, it's seen with bad eyes approaching women like that. Nowadays, people prefer dating apps for that. However, it's perfectly normal approaching women to ask for directions or for any ither particular help.
Viver em Portugal é maravilhoso 👏
Pena que tem corrupção
I'm naturally a formal type of lady. (My sisters still tease me about it.) But I like eating pizza with a fork and knife, etc. I liked the formality of the Portuguese people. I also happen to be part Portuguese by DNA.
For all the people saying the fork and knife thing isn't true, yes it is...
No, you don't use fork and knife to eat McDonalds or Pizza Hut and the like nor some bifana in a café, but in a proper pizzeria or some fancy hamburgueria, yes you do, for the most part.
And in restaurants in general, you if stick your paw in the plate you will absolutely get the "javardo" look from someone.
I totally get what Dave's trying to say.
"Javardo"look e fdd!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Maybe not hamburguers ans bifana, because those are designed to be eaten with your hands, but all the rest is much much easier to eat with knife and fork.
in doubt, u can see what everyone is doing but u start to get a feeling when u can or not by the style of the restaurant
I can’t eat with my hands… everything spills and I don’t like it. Fork and knife is the safest
Excuse me, but as Portuguese I can assure you that what you just said is false. I have never been judged for eating pizza (for example) with my hands in any restaurant.
Nice tip, when you're walking through the city always go for the the black stones, they're way more resistant to erosion and therefor less slipery
Great compilation. I would like to add that is prohibited to overtake from the right in Portugal.
I know it’s a common practice in the States and legally there’s nothing wrong with it, however in Portugal it’s a very severe infraction, thus the law for the left lane on highways.
I think it’s one the things that shock me the most about driving in the States.
And on the driving note, in Portugal (/Europe) you have to have a reflective triangle and colete, to place on the road and wear in case of an accident or anomaly with your vehicle.
The law about this changes often but last time I checked you’re expected to exit the vehicle with the reflective colete on (so keep it under the seat).
@@anahenriques. "Colete" is "vest" in English
@@Rio-chii thanks for the clarification.
I didn’t even notice.
Canadians are almost as bad as Americans at traveling in the passing lane and passing on the right (at least here in southern Ontario) - I wish those rules were enforced here and in the US.
The last one might missleading. Multibanco is actually the network of Portuguese credit/debit cards, similar to Visa or Mastercard. There are a considerable ammount of places which only take national cards, the fees are lower to them, not international. You should ask specifically if they take Visa/Mastercard or Amex or Discovery or whatever card you have. Most places accept Visa and Mastercard, but Amex and Discovery not so much. You should ask: "Do you take international card? Aceita cartão estrangeiro?"
What you mentioned is, roughly, one of the important rules in Portugal: it can be summed up in one rule: "be polite". You did not mention: do not brag; do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention. If you disagree with someone, there is a rather involved way of saying so: something akin to "it might, however, be argued that...". The younger generation do eat pizzas with their hands, and fries, when served in American inspired takeaways, have to be eaten that way, although even then plastic forks and knifes are usually provided. An important rule: the Portuguese are extremely self-critical. However, if you are a foreigner, do not, ever, criticize the country of your hosts. In fact, you might be living in Portugal for decades; as long as your accent betrays your foreign origin, never criticize Portugal, even if your Portuguese friends do it.
Are portuguese people very xenophobic? I don't understand the double standard.
true, no one can criticize us, except us. Nós deitamos a baixo Portugal, mas quando alguém fala mal de Portugal, essa pessoa está fodida
@@enibeni2071 It is not about xenophobism (although there are example of racism all over the world and portugal is part of this same world).
I think you will find that this type of double standard is not particular to Portugal and it is very common in many countries all around the world. And it isn't even limited to countries.
I will exemplify here the idea with the Portuguese case.
The double standard is about national and cultural proudness.
Note that It isn't a kind of political nationalism. Since for example and mostly in the "younger" generations (at least less than 40 years) there is a strong feeling of a kind of globalist/humanist tendency as is normal in most of Europe.
A good analogy is like in an extended family where there is strong internal criticism/rivalry between the members but they easily unite against external apparent criticism. It isn't a rational reaction, but It can be a "natural" one.
Remembering the mention of the spanish language in the video.
You can see another example of it in the rivalry of portuguese with spanish. There is a very very old history of constant rivalry between the two, but fortunately rarely enmity.
But at the same time that a portuguese can easily criticise the spanish, it is also normal to argument for them against other countries even if it is obvious that the spanish side is the weaker party.
They are after all "our hermanos" (our brothers).
There are many such cases in portuguese culture even between the different portuguese provinces for example.
To give another idea for the double standard, here is an old portuguese proverb that illustrate the feeling:
"roupa suja não se lava em público"
Which translate to
"dirty clothes are not washed in public"
"do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention" OMG man, all my neighbours and work colleagues talk like they are on the forest, alone. the portugueses talk alot and loud and always they want to be the centre of the universe.
one rule: "be polite". You did not mention: do not brag; do not speak too loud; do not make yourself the centre of attention. This is extremely difficult for Americans. They are naturally loud. We say we hear Americans looonnnng before we see them. And they do tend to talk a lot about themselves. Also, if someone does speak English, do not assume it is American English. English taught in schools is usually British English. " Yeah, y´know, I guess, it´s like .sorta, kinda" American talking without saying anything can be irritating even confusing.
As a portuguese I can say that it is pretty much correct except for a couple of things, first is the "don't eat with your hands" we do eat with our hands when it comes to stuff like pizza and hamburguers, french fries depends on the place, in a fast food place is totally fine but basically if it comes in a plate is to be eaten with fork and knife.
About the fast lane, YES! when you learn to drive here you are thaught to stay the most you can to the right, only go to the middle and the fast lane when you need to pass but after that go back to the right lane!
Very well done and presented. Thanks to foreigners like you, always welcome here! Prosit!❤
Multibanco (MB) is a Portuguese network only, for portuguese Cards. Many stores only have MB and doesn't accept International VISA/Mastercard, because MB has lower fees for them. You should always ask if they accept VISA and not MB, for a foreign card.
Good job!! 😊 You took some really good aspects of our culture. I think the most important one is do not think everyone knows English or Spanish! My mother's generation did not learn English at school so they will appreciate if you try to speak in portuguese and they will kindly help you with it 🙏 As for U-turns, some places in Portugal have one way street so if you try to make it, it can be dangerous. Pay attention to the signs and do not panic, you will find small villages in between where you can make your turn 😉 As for eating with your hands, in some fancy restaurants you will might not be allowed to but in your daily life if it's a pizza, chicken, a burger you can eat it as you would like being with the fork and a knife or with yours bare hands, no own will judge you. Lastly, do not be righteousness, I guess no one likes when foreigners think that they deserve better just because they are visiting, just be humble and enjoy our country 😁
Joana unless your mother only did 4 years of schooling she must have been taught French and then English and sometimes even German. My parents did all of that in high school and they are now 75.
@@klimtkahlo My mother only was taught French in school because in that time there wasn't English taught in school. Nonetheless, that is not my point, my point is not everyone has an obligation to know English and not everyone had the same schooling as me and you, so when someone comes to Portugal it is nice to pay attention to that detail 🙏🙏
Very good video David, I was born in Portugal 🇵🇹 but I been living in USA since a young girl so not familiar with many of the rules. Thank you!
HI, i am Portuguese and i have been watching u for a while.
i wanted to thank you for talking about my country.
btw, we only eat pizza or other stuff with a fork when the restaurant is 'fancy'.
Last one is partially correct. Multibanco however does not stand for international cards! Multibanco is for national cards (even if they are visa/mastercard) some vendors will accept national debit/credit card, but if you try to use an international card you might get refused (revolut for example). If you’re coming from abroad ask if the vendor accepts international cards.
This will happen more often when travelling to outside of lisbon/porto. Other than that great video! Keep it up!
The left lane one isnt only in portugal, at least most of europe is that way and even in the US there are some states that have similar laws, they just arent followed or enforced much
great advice! Been in Portugal 4 times. Love the country!!
Liked it as 100% Portuguese I think that for a person from another country you pronounced the Portuguese words very well!! Tugas acho que todos estamos de acordo abraço
I will go to Portugal very soon with my job and seeing this helped me a lot,also i started learning Portugese for a least conversation.
Thank you for your advice dear sir!!
I have family from the UK and when they came to Portugal to visit me they ate with their hands and to me it just seemed so weird. Idk how normal that is in the UK, but unless you’re eating a burger or pizza, I wouldn’t recommend doing that lol. It makes you look stupid. But yeah burger, pizza and fries is actually fine
Pizza depends on the place as well.
The Multibanco logo, doesn't mean they accept credit cards. MB logo is specifically for the Portuguese debit cards.
👌🏼❤️🇵🇹❤️It is a lovely video. Very true. I am Portuguese, living in a foreign country for many years. Still cannot comprehend why your 12 points (which is normal to me), is an issue to others. And yes, a man must not approach me for no good reason. One can tell the difference between a sincere direction query, from the majority arrogant westernized brutes. The last one got slapped with my briefcase (as my strong hand was too busy holding it). So be warned, enter my space at your own risk. And always be polite, be respectful❣️
In Portugal you can address a woman respectfully and ask for directions. However, if there are men and woman you should address the group and continue the dialogue with the person who answered your question...
One of the DO’s in Portugal is to PARK ON THE SIDEWALK!!! 🤣 🇵🇹
They do it everywhere!
I thought I was the only one to notice that
Your videos are very accurate. I'm a well-travelled born and raised Portuguese and I concur with most of the comments you make. And some of them make me laugh, but oh boy are they accurate!
You can approach Portuguese women in public, I used to do it all the time before getting married. It depends on the context, on the girl and on your sensibility, both the way you make your approach and to the social norms (and it is important to know these). For instance, if your sitting at a café by yourself and you see the girls also sitting by herself and you made eye contact and she isn't avoiding you or didn't gave you a "stay away" look, you may try to make conversation. But always be polite and don't invade her space. Keep enough distance between you and the girl, till you understand you may advance. The secret in Portugal is being polite and intelligent. If you make an approach that cries out "I want to go to bed with you" or cringe-romantic, probably you won't be very successful. Basically, just give her breathing space, be polite and try to surprise her, and you will probably be fine. And usually we give a lot of slack to foreigners ... just don't be plain rude.
🤣😂🤣damn uncle u were a playboy before marriage
As someone who married a Portuguese woman they’re impossible no matter how you approach them. Going to Portugal was the biggest mistake I ever made, second was marrying a Portuguese woman.
@@miked2075 ..🙂
@@miked2075 Seriously? Have you ever marry a woman of other nationality? Only if you did you can determine that Portuguese women are the worst... Could it be your approach? Just saying...
@@miked2075 cry more, you just picked the wrong woman 😂
Many food items are actually meant to be eaten with the hands, mainly two groups in general: imported bread-based food (burgers, pizza, hot dogs, kebabs...) and grilled boned meat (frango de churrasco, tirinhas/entrecosto, etc) I always used a knife and fork for some of the latter and got weird looks so, there you go.
Sandwiches in general are obviously also okay.
Great video, love the effort behind all this info.
Just a couple of notes: if you want an "espresso", just ask for a "café" or a "bica" (pronounced beeka).
About u-turns, they are totally legal, they just take a little more time and effort if you're in a narrow road, that's it. And you cannot do them if you have to cross a lane separation line (the solid one that separates both ways) or right before a turn or intersection, for obvious reasons. Also regarding roads and driving, a fundamental law is to always drive on the rightmost lane.
The word Bica is not always recognised. I live in Madeira, where a coffee is indeed called a bica, but when I ordered coffee arriving at the airport in Lisbon, I asked 'uma bica e uma chinesa (the Portuguese version of a cappucino) and the barista had no clue what I wanted, until someone shouted from the kitchen "são da Madeira e querem um café e um meio de leite¨, meaning 'they are from Madeira and they want an espresso and a cappucino´. We had a good laugh.
Portugal is the most welcoming, tolerant country. I should know, given the fact that I have lived here for 33 years. I have never been mistreated or disrespected by anyone and love everything about the country. Speaking the language fluently has opened up so many great opportunities for me. I've even got my own cemetery space reserved for when I shuffle off this mortal coil.
Just treat others the same way you want to be treated, simple universal golden rule!
Many things in Portugal are eaten with hands, sardines, small fried fish, grilled chicken and other bony meats fries and pizza for example. Not all restaurants and shops accept all cards, specially the small ones, it really depends on the contract these shops have with the bank, usually only big supermarket chains and petrol stations accept ALL cards.
As for nr 7, totally!!!! It is against driving rules to use the left/fast lane unless you are passing other vehicle.
Nr 8 I don't fully agree 🙄 Portuguese women are approachable, but do it respectfully and if you get the "not interested" vibe, well, most likely she is not actually interested 😅 If so, don't be persistent or annoying.
Welcome to our amazing country, Dave! Hope you enjoy our culture 👌🏻
Very small notes:
1 - A man always thanks with "Obrigado" and a woman always thanks with "Obrigada" independently of the gender of his/her receiver.
2 - Some foods are mandatory to be eaten with your hands. For example sandes (sandwiches). Also, you will look weird if you go to Macdonald's or KFC and ask for a fork. And I have always eaten pizza with my hands. Here we use common sense, so if you go to a high-end restaurant ( even if it's a pizzeria ), of course, you need to eat with a fork and knife.
3 - You can make u-turns every time you don't have a single or double lane and space to do it safely. Don't forget to use the turn signals too.
4 - You can approach women in public ( this is not an Arab country... ) but do it in a chivalry manner. Perhaps you will be surprised what manners can do.
Nevertheless is nice to know what foreigners think about our culture, so nice video!
Welcome to Portugal.
That about the "do not eat with your hands" it's for Lisbon or a city of "rich" people 😂 I'm portuguese, but I'm from the south of Portugal, from a rural localization, and we have the habit of eat with our hands. And when I go to Lisbon and I'm eating pizza, or burger or stuff like that, I eat with my hands, and indeed they look weirdly to me 😂😂😂 but I don't care, I'm a mountaineer, I practice my savege habits wherever I go 😂
For U-turns, you can do it but there's a specific way to do it, i would advise if you're moving to live here i recomend some driving lessons just to get to know some specific ways of driving
Just for reference multibanco is our network of ATMs. The payment terminal device is just like anywhere else but we mostly call multibanco because of the atm machines. The ATM associated to Portuguese banks belong to that system such as any terminal with a bank layout. The system is different than normal bank payments in other ATMs or POS
I just loved to see how funny it is cus I was driving down the A9 today and you post a vídeo with the A9 in here, well! I hope you are enjoying our country, boa noite ;D
😅 coincidências!
Pretty accurate.. but there are other foods that are acceptable to eat with your hands. You can’t eat frango assado with a knife and fork for example, but eating fish dishes and sardines especially has to be using a knife and fork!
Great content as usual Dave.. thanks 🙏🏻
So to be clear and concise Portuguese people are more civilized than people who, eat with their hands, disobey signs for their own convenience, block traffic lanes as a power trip, accost women they don't know, are polite to elderly women, wear proper footwear and are not sloppy drunks. So basically don't act like an American. In Japan they have pink sofa's on their trains with a sign in English only that says: "This seat is for elderly persons only." No need to explain it to their own citizens.
❤
well, apparently americans don't own the coplete market on arrogance! :)
ahahah lovely to see people from another country being happy and fascinate with portugal! I love travel, but, as a portuguese woman, yes portugal is an amazing place! ::)
I was laughing when he mentioned do not eat with your hands in certain situations. I spend a lot of time in Brazil over the last few years and they are like that too in many ways. I'm looking forward to my trip to Portugal....
Fry chicken or pizza is ok to eat with your hands or sardinhas.
Except on a fancy restaurant, of course 😂
I am of portuguese roots and raised in switzerland. I go to portugal every year to visit my family and I really hope that you are enjoying your trip.
However, we do eat pizza, burgers and fries with our hands 😂!!! And also the rule about passing is also true in switzerland and I think also most countries in europe.... and also for women, I guess it also depends on the person, and how you aproach them... of course if I am in a visible hurry or something I'd be anoyed if someone talks to me (unless to say I dropes something haha) but otherwise if I am just chilling and someone talks to me, in a polite manner I don't think I would be so annoyed.
Kisses from a portuguese from switzerland
With very few exceptions (on street standing kiosks, foreign chain fast food restaurants, etc.), all restaurants in Portugal provide the clients with tables and cutlery (this is not the case if you're standing at a café, eating a small snack, like a pastel de nata). If cutlery is provided at a restaurant, you should use it. Doing otherwise is considered disrespectful for the establishment (that wants clients to use cutlery in order to keep the place clean). Also, making an effort to follow rules is seen as a sign of politeness and a way of showing respect to others. So, if you don't make that effort, people won't appreciate it (even if, given the Portuguese live and let live mindset, they don't usually show it). In very specific circumstances, if you're struggling with the use of knife and fork (like eating certain seafood, for example) it is OK to use your hand, provided you do it in a parsimonious way. And before you do it, it is considered polite to warn the people you're eating with that you're going to use your hand by saying, for instance, something like "if you don't mind, now I'm going to use my hands for this bit".
As a person from the north of Portugal, most of these things seem to be more of a lisbon thing, here in the north no one gives a shit about most of these things except the road issues and that kind of stuff, we're very passionate about driving...
Don't eat with your hands? Try eating a king prawn with knife and fork. Or asparagus. Or a chicken leg... As with most rules, there are exceptions. In this case it all depends whether you have the necessary elegance required to do it properly.
When you go to a restaurant with your friends/family, you eat your greasy chicken leg with your hands and then before picking up your glass, you wipe on the same napkin you use on your mouth so it becomes greasy, or do you get everything you touch dirty with grease? Wiuldnt it be much easier to just use fork and knife?
Very important suggestion regarding driving on highways. You must drive on the right most lane. Do not drive in the middle lane if there's no one on the right. It's illegal to overtake on the right, so if you hog on the middle lane you are effectively rendering the right lane useless. Please drive on the right most lane unless you are overtaking. Also, follow this rule even if you are driving fast, chances are that someone faster than quickly approaches and stats tailgating you.
The one of not talking to women, I think it's also a TPO thing, c'mon, it's fine to ask directions lmao
If we really would follow that rule, women here would only date their cousins because nobody would ever approach them.
The secret is: If you are a tourist (dressed like a tourist, burned like a tourist, drunk like a tourist and loud like a tourist), don't go for the classy ones. They are not much into hook-ups down here. But you'll always find some easy to catch chicks who are just waiting to get banged by a foreigner.
Funny thing is HALF of these things apply to many or most countries -- like driving in the "fast" lane (in the US, that's the left lane as is probably the case in most countries that drive on the righthand side of the road). Some of the others like U-turns unless specified and respecting elders as well (In the US itis also illegal -- in most states at least -- to make a U-turn unless there is a sign that says you can). Now that I think of it, a foreigner coming to the US may be a bit more confused with some laws, as some laws apply to some states but not all.
We don't eat with our hands? How the hell you think we eat "frango assado"??
Então e sardinhas???
Nao percebo o porquê de estar no nosso país a criticar os nossos costumes e cultura.
@@luciabranco2811 ele não está a criticar . Ele apenas não sabe do que está a falar.
We love Portugal, friendly, helpful and respectful people.
As a brazilian It´s weird see people from England and USA eating sandwiches with bare hands. We in Brasil use a paper hankderchief to hold sandwiches..and sometimes a toothpick to pick french fries or another finger food.
Portuguese people also eat that way, in general. However,t depends on your upbringing or attitude...We can never say that all Portuguese behave this or that way, in the same way as one cannot say that all Americans or Brazilians act or behave exactly the same...I have seen all kinds of Portuguese, Brasilians or Americans (these are just examples, of course) doing this or that...
The left lane is only for passing in all western countries. Not only in portugal. Except for countries that drive on the opposite side.
Hi! I'm portuguese and live in Lisbon. I don't get the part that it's rude to eat with your hands. That's all. Yes you see some people eating with fork but it's not o rule only if you go to high restaurants.
Making U turns in busy roads is against the rules, but not a problem in less busy toads. You do need to learn how to do a three point turn efficiently, though.
Hey, maybe start by NOT using Italian generic music in your intro, on a video about Portugal. :D Take care!
La tarantella è piu bella!
Listen, when it comes to eating food with your hands there's a time and place, for example, if your eating with your friends it's fine, if your at a barbacue it's fine, if your eating charcuterie and sea food it's fine but, when it comes to restaurants it depends, some of them you can eat with your hands, like fast food restaurant, but if your not sure, the best thing you can do is check how other people are eating. It is not true that we don't eat with our hands or that we find it weird however in most "fancy" restaurants you will eat with fork and knife even if it's pizza.
I don't think i've ever seen people eat burguers here with a fork and a knife XD even pizza as well. Fries only if they belong to a wider dish, otherwise ( like fastfood ) you use your hands.
Otherwise, i pretty much agree with what you said hehe
Any questions just ask
Há bué gente a comer hambúrguer de garfo e faca e pizza . Cada vez mais ...
@@Monteiro75 Isso são só os quequezinhos, a gente do povo come á mão mesmo, é difícil comer pizza de garfo e faca. Só rico mesmo... 😒
@@Monteiro75 hamburguer no pão de garfo e faca? uma coisa é hamburguer de prato, outra é o de sandes. Isso nunca vi xD nem faz sentido
Na realidade a pizza tradicionalmente era comida com garfo e faca. Em Itália é assim, e nos restaurantes tradicionais italianos é assim também.
A moda de comer a pizza com a mão vem dos EUA, e especialmente em cadeias de restaurantes como a Pizza Hut ou a Mr. Pizza.
@@diogorodrigues747 Essa não sabia! Mas estava a falar mais da minha experiência enquanto tuga, no geral pizzarias usamos as mãos, excepto aquelas mais fancy diria