Portuguese · Finanças
Explain that you work on a contract or are self-employed: what to say in Portuguese
At the tax office they ask how you work: on a contract or self-employed.
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How it's done. A self-employed person is a trabalhador independente; the invoices they issue are called recibos verdes.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Trabalha por conta de outrem ou por conta própria?Truh-BAH-lyuh poor KOHN-tuh d OH-trayn oh poor KOHN-tuh PROH-pryuh?
Do you work as an employee or for yourself?
They might also say:
Passa recibos verdes?
PAH-suh rih-SEE-boozh VEHR-dish?
Do you issue "recibos verdes" (self-employed invoices)?
YOU REPLY
Tenho contrato de trabalho.
TEH-nyoo kohn-TRAH-too d truh-BAH-lyoo.
I have an employment contract.
THEY SAY
Então a empresa trata dos descontos.Ayn-TOW uh em-PREH-zuh TRAH-tuh doozh dish-KOHN-toosh.
Then the company takes care of the contributions.
2
YOU FINISH
Obrigado, até logo!
oh-bree-GAH-doo, uh-TEH LOH-goo!
Thank you, see you later!
Or say:Obrigado!
oh-bree-GAH-doo!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Trabalha
Truh-BAH-lyuh
verb
(you) work
conta
KOHN-tuh
noun
account
própria
PROH-pryuh
adjective
own (feminine) (por conta própria - on one's own account)
Tenho
TEH-nyoo
verb
(I) have
contrato
kohn-TRAH-too
noun
contract
trabalho
truh-BAH-lyoo
noun
work
13 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Pod fuh-LAHR mighzh dvuh-GAHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Pode escrever, por favor?
Pod shkrih-VEHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you write it down, please?
Similar situations
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