BicaUnit 15 · Services and paperworkA2Lesson 4 of 5: Bank and post office
The bank and the post office in European Portuguese
This is lesson 4 of 5 in Unit 15, Services and paperwork (Serviços e burocracia), an A2 unit in which you deal with Finanças, the bank, the post office and your landlord: tickets, forms and appointments. It teaches 8 words and phrases, including abrir uma conta (to open an account), levantar dinheiro (to withdraw money) and o dinheiro (money), and uses them in 10 example sentences. Building on Filling in forms, it gets you to sentences like O banco fecha às três (“The bank closes at three”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Precisar de” and “Às Finanças, aos correios”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
abrir uma conta | to open an accountA conta is a bank account, and also the bill at a café. |
levantar dinheiro | to withdraw moneyLevantar literally means "to lift". You do it at the multibanco. |
o dinheiro | money |
os correiosalso os CTT | post officeThe postal company is os CTT, so people also say Vou aos CTT. |
a carta | letterA registered letter is uma carta registada. |
a encomenda | parcel |
enviar | to sendMandar is also very common: mandar uma carta. |
receber | to receive |
Example sentences
- Eu queria abrir uma conta.I'd like to open an account.Queria + infinitive is the polite way to ask for something.
- Onde é que eu posso levantar dinheiro?Where can I withdraw money?
- Eu vou ao multibanco levantar dinheiro.I'm going to the cash machine to get some money.You can go somewhere to do something with or without para: vou ao multibanco levantar dinheiro.
- Eu tenho uma encomenda nos correios.I have a parcel at the post office.Nos = em + os.
- Eu queria enviar esta carta para Inglaterra.I'd like to send this letter to England.
- Quanto custa enviar esta encomenda?How much does it cost to send this parcel?
- Eu recebi uma carta das Finanças.I got a letter from the tax office.Recebi is the past of receber. Das = de + as.
- Os correios ficam ao lado do banco.The post office is next to the bank.Os correios is plural, so the verb is plural: ficam.
- O banco fecha às três.The bank closes at three.Fechar = to close. Abrir = to open.
- Tu podes ir aos correios amanhã?Can you go to the post office tomorrow?Aos = a + os.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 15: Services and paperwork: