Portuguese · Farmácia
Buy cold medicine without a prescription: what to say in Portuguese
You have a cold, and you need to buy something over the counter at the pharmacy.
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How it's done. At the pharmacy the pharmacist often advises: describe your symptoms and you'll be offered an over-the-counter remedy.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
YOU START
Boa tarde. Tem alguma coisa para a constipação?
BOH-uh tahrd. Tayn uhl-GOO-muh KOY-zuh pruh uh kohnsh-tee-puh-SOW?
Good afternoon. Do you have anything for a cold?
THEY SAY
Tem febre?Tayn febr?
Do you have a fever?
They might also say:
Tem temperatura?
Tayn tem-pih-ruh-TOO-ruh?
Do you have a temperature?
2
YOU REPLY
Um pouco, trinta e sete e meio.
Oon POH-koo, TREEN-tuh ee set ee MAY-oo.
A little, thirty-seven and a half.
THEY SAY
Prefere comprimidos ou xarope?Prih-FEHR kohn-prih-MEE-dooz oh shuh-ROP?
Do you prefer tablets or syrup?
3
YOU REPLY
Comprimidos, por favor.
Kohn-prih-MEE-doosh, poor fuh-VOR.
Tablets, please.
THEY SAY
Tome um de manhã e um à noite.Tom oon d muh-NYAHN ee oon uh noyt.
Take one in the morning and one in the evening.
4
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
Boa
BOH-uh
adjective
good (feminine)
tarde
tahrd
noun
afternoon
Tem
Tayn
verb
have
coisa
KOY-zuh
noun
thing
constipação
kohnsh-tee-puh-SOW
noun
cold (not constipation!)
febre
febr
noun
temperature, fever
23 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?
Desculpe, não percebi.
Dish-KOOLP, now pir-sih-BEE.
Sorry, I didn't understand.
Similar situations
The pharmacist asks about your symptomsFarmácia · A2 in the app
→Collect medicine with an electronic prescription (code from the SMS)Farmácia · A1 in the app
→The pharmacist asks for your tax number for the receiptFarmácia · A1 in the app
→Ask how to take the medicine and how many times a dayFarmácia · A1 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report