Portuguese Summer Expressions You'll Hear Everywhere

Summer changes more than the weather in Portugal.

Schools close, many people take holidays, festivals fill the evenings, and conversations naturally begin to revolve around sunshine, beaches, and making the most of the long days.

Here are some of the words and expressions you'll hear all summer long.

☀️ Talking About the Heat

One topic comes up almost every day: the temperature.

You'll often hear:

• Está muito calor.

  → It's very hot.

• Hoje está insuportável.

  → Today it's unbearable.

• Está um calor daqueles.

  → It's incredibly hot.

If you're in Portugal during July or August, you'll probably find yourself saying these too.

🏖️ Summer Plans

People also spend more time talking about where they're going.

Useful vocabulary includes:

• férias — holidays

• praia — beach

• piscina — swimming pool

• campo — countryside

• sombra — shade

Example:

• Vamos à praia amanhã.

  → We're going to the beach tomorrow.

🍦 Keeping Cool

You'll hear plenty of conversations about food and drink too.

Some useful words:

• gelado — ice cream

• água fresca — cool water

• bebida fresca — cold drink

• esplanada — outdoor café terrace

One of my favourite Portuguese words is esplanada. On a warm evening, you'll hear people saying:

• Vamos sentar-nos na esplanada.

  → Let's sit on the terrace.

🌅 Longer Evenings

One thing many visitors notice is how much life moves outdoors during the summer.

Common expressions include:

• Vamos dar um passeio.

  → Let's go for a walk.

• Vamos jantar fora.

  → Let's eat out.

• Está uma noite agradável.

  → It's a pleasant evening.

The cooler evenings become a time to meet friends and family.

💬 Expressions You'll Hear

These short phrases become very common:

• Que calor!

  → It's so hot!

• Ainda está muito calor.

  → It's still very hot.

• Vamos aproveitar o bom tempo.

  → Let's make the most of the good weather.

The verb aproveitar ("to make the most of" or "to enjoy") is one you'll hear throughout the year, but especially in summer.

🧠 A Word Worth Learning: Aproveitar

Unlike English, Portuguese uses aproveitar in lots of situations.

People say:

• Aproveita!

  → Enjoy it!

• Vamos aproveitar o dia.

  → Let's make the most of the day.

• Temos de aproveitar o verão.

  → We have to make the most of the summer.

Once you start listening for it, you'll hear it everywhere.

🧭 Final Thought

Seasonal vocabulary is some of the easiest to remember because it surrounds you.

If you're in Portugal this summer, listen carefully to the conversations around you.

You'll soon notice that the same words and expressions appear again and again and before long, you'll be using them yourself.