Meaning
Used to ask if someone is capable of speaking the English language.
Cultural Background
Brazilians are famously warm and will often say 'um pouquinho' (a little bit) even if they are quite fluent, out of modesty or fear of making mistakes. In Portugal, English proficiency is among the highest in Southern Europe. It is very common for people under 50 to be highly fluent due to non-dubbed media. In Luanda, English is becoming a popular second language due to the oil industry, but Portuguese remains the dominant lingua franca for all daily interactions. Because it is surrounded by English-speaking countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe), many Mozambicans in border areas or tourism speak excellent English.
The 'Um Pouco' trick
If someone says 'um pouco', they usually speak better than they admit. Keep your English simple and they will open up.
Avoid 'Você' in Portugal
In Portugal, just say 'Fala inglês?' or 'O senhor fala inglês?'. Using 'você' can sometimes feel too pointed or aggressive to locals.
Meaning
Used to ask if someone is capable of speaking the English language.
The 'Um Pouco' trick
If someone says 'um pouco', they usually speak better than they admit. Keep your English simple and they will open up.
Avoid 'Você' in Portugal
In Portugal, just say 'Fala inglês?' or 'O senhor fala inglês?'. Using 'você' can sometimes feel too pointed or aggressive to locals.
Smile first
A smile and a 'Bom dia' before asking 'Fala inglês?' will get you a much better response than just the question alone.
Listen for the 'Yes'
Many people will simply answer 'Yes' or 'Sim'. Be ready to continue the conversation in English immediately.
Test Yourself
How do you ask an elderly woman if she speaks English in a very polite way?
Com licença, _______ fala inglês?
'A senhora' is the correct formal address for a woman.
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb 'falar'.
Desculpe, eu não ____ português. Você ____ inglês?
'Eu falo' (I speak) and 'Você fala' (You speak).
Complete the dialogue at the airport.
Turista: Bom dia! ______? Funcionário: Sim, eu falo. Em que posso ajudar?
The employee's response 'Sim, eu falo' indicates the question was about language ability.
Match the phrase to the correct level of formality.
1. Fala inglês? / 2. O senhor fala inglês? / 3. Manja o inglês?
'O senhor' is formal, 'Fala' is neutral/informal, 'Manja' is slang.
Match the Portuguese phrase to its English translation.
A. Vocês falam inglês? / B. Ele fala inglês? / C. Eu falo inglês.
Matching the subject and verb conjugation.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Formal vs Informal
Practice Bank
5 exercisesCom licença, _______ fala inglês?
'A senhora' is the correct formal address for a woman.
Desculpe, eu não ____ português. Você ____ inglês?
'Eu falo' (I speak) and 'Você fala' (You speak).
Turista: Bom dia! ______? Funcionário: Sim, eu falo. Em que posso ajudar?
The employee's response 'Sim, eu falo' indicates the question was about language ability.
1. Fala inglês? / 2. O senhor fala inglês? / 3. Manja o inglês?
'O senhor' is formal, 'Fala' is neutral/informal, 'Manja' is slang.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Matching the subject and verb conjugation.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
12 questionsNo, it's not rude, but it's much more polite if you say 'Excuse me' (Com licença) first.
In Brazil, it's common. In Portugal, it's often dropped to sound more natural and polite.
Smile, say 'Obrigado' (Thank you), and try using a translation app or simple gestures.
That is the 'Tu' form, common in Portugal and parts of Brazil. It's very informal.
In big cities and tourist areas, yes. In small towns, it is much less common.
You would say 'Eu falo um pouco de inglês'.
Use 'O senhor fala inglês?'.
Use 'A senhora fala inglês?'.
Yes, that means 'Is English spoken (here)?', which is great for shops or hotels.
Yes, it becomes 'Vocês falam inglês?'.
This is a characteristic of the accent in Portugal and Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, it sounds like a normal 's'.
In Portuguese, names of languages are usually not capitalized (inglês, português, francês).
Related Phrases
Falo um pouco
builds onI speak a little
Não entendo
similarI don't understand
Como se diz... em inglês?
builds onHow do you say... in English?
Pode repetir?
similarCan you repeat?
Mais devagar, por favor
similarSlower, please
Sou americano/inglês
similarI am American/English
