Galician is the Romance language most closely related to Portuguese. It is spoken in Galicia, which is in north-western Spain. Portuguese speakers (both European and Brazilian alike) will usually tell you that Galician is a dialect of their own language, while Galicians will tell you the opposite in a manner similar to that which exists between Bulgarians and Slav Macedonians. Whichever the case, Portuguese and Galician speakers can understand each other almost perfectly without a translator.
Galician has a different spelling and accent from Portuguese, and contains unique colloquialisms and traces of former cultures, using a number of pre-Indoeuropean, Celtic and Germanic words not found Portuguese. On the other hand, Arabic words found in Portuguese, are not found in Galician.
Sounds
Galician sounds are similar to Portuguese, but nasalization is not nearly as pervasive. The letter x, pronounced sh in both languages, is used mainly in Galician words; whereas in Portuguese words the letters j or gare used, where it is pronounced like "zh".
Vowels
a
like father
e (stressed)
like set, ten
e (unstressed)
like herd
i
like machine
o (stressed)
like hot, top (British pronunication)
o (unstressed)
like sort
u
like soup or book
Consonants
b
like 'b' in "bed": bico ('kiss').
c + e, i
like 's' in "supper" (western Galicia) or 'th' in "think" (eastern Galicia): cedo ('early').
c + a, o, u
like 'k' in "key": can ('dog').
d
like 'd' in "day": data ('date').
f
like 'ph' in "phone": ferro ('iron').
g
like 'g' in "gone". In western Galicia, g is sometimes aspirated, like 'h' in "house": xogo ('game'). If followed by e or i, g must be written with a silent u: xoguete ('toy'), preguiza ('laziness'). If followed by a pronounced u and then by e or i, that u bears a diaeresis: bilingüe ('bilingual'), Güiana ('Guyana').
h
silent: harmonía ('harmony').
j
like 'su' in "pleasure"
k
used only in foriegn words like "kilo"
l
like 'l' in "love": lúa ('moon').
m
like 'm' in "month": amarelo ('yellow').
n
like 'n' in "nice": nai ('mother'). Like 'ng' in "song" if it's at the end of a word: non ('no').
ñ
like 'ny' in "canyon" : xuño ('June'). Transliterad as nh in Portuguese and ny in Catalan.
p
like 'p' in "party": pai ('father').
q
like 'q' in "unique". Q is almost always followed by a silent u and then by e or i: queixo ('cheese'/'chin'), arquivo ('archive').
r
trill with the tip of the tongue, like other Romance languages: terra ('earth', 'land', 'ground').
s
like 's' in "supper": persoa ('person').
t
like 't' in "top": ter ('to have').
v
like 'b' in "bed": novo ('new').
x
like 'sh' in "shoe": imaxe ('image'), axuda ('help'), xaneiro ('January'), viaxar ('to travel'), lóxico ('logical'), xanela ('window'), cervexa ('beer'), xeral ('general'). Like 'x' in "example" (only in some words): taxi ('taxi'), explorar ('to explore'), texto ('text'), excursión ('trip')...
z
like 's' in "supper" (western Galicia) or 'th' in "think" (eastern Galicia): prezo ('price'). Unlike Spanish, Z is never followed by e or i.
Common diphthongs
ai
like say (British pronunciation)
au
like pout
ei
like say (American pronunciation)
eu
the e vowel plus a w semivowel (no equivalent in English)
oi
like boy
ou
as in own
Common digraphs
ch
like 'tch' in "match": chave ('key').
ll
like 'lli' in "million": ollo ('eye'). Same as in Catalan and as lh in "standard" Portuguese.
nh
like the nasal 'n' in "bang" : unha ('one' fem.)
Phrase list
Basics
Hello (informal).
Ola. (OH-lah). For the formal equivalent of "Ola" see good morning, good afternoon, good evening, below.
How are you?
Como estás? (KOH-moh ehs-TAHS?) (informal); Como está? (KOH-moh ehs-TAH?) (formal)
Fine, thank you.
Moi ben, grazas. (moy behn, GRAH-sahs)
What is your name?
Como te chamas? (koh-MOH teh tchah-MAHS?) (informal); Como se chama? (koh-MOH seh tchah-MAH?) (formal)
My name is ______ .
Chámome ______ . (CHAH-moh-meh____)
Nice to meet you.
É un pracer. (EH oon PRAH-sehr)
Please.
Por favor. (pohr FAH-bohr)
Thank you.
Grazas. (GRAH-sahs)
You're welcome.
De nada. / Non hai de que. (deh NAH-dah/nohn ai deh keh)
Yes.
Sí. (SEE)
No.
Non. (nohn)
Excuse me. (getting attention)
Perdoe. / Desculpe. (pehr-DOEH/dehs-KOOL-peh)
Excuse me. (begging pardon)
Perdoe. (pehr-DOEH) / Desculpe. (dehs-KOOL-peh)
I'm sorry.
Sinto moito. (SEEN-toh MOY-toh)
Goodbye
Adeus. (ah-DEH-oos)
I can't speak Galician [well].
Non falo [moi ben] o galego. (nohn FAH-loh (moy behn) oh gah-LEH-goh)
Do you speak English?
Falas inglés? (informal) (fah-LAHS een-GLEHS?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?
Hai alguén aquí que fala inglés? (ai ahl-KEHN ah-KEE keh FAH-lah een-GLEHS?)
Canto é a taxa de cambio? (KAHN-toh EH ah TAH-shah deh KAHM-byoh?)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
Onde hai un caixeiro automático? (OHN-deh eye oon kai-SHEI-roh ow-toh-MAH-tee-koh?)
Shopping
Do you have this in my size?
Ten isto na miña talla? (...)
How much is this?
Canto custa isto? (...)
That's too expensive.
É demasiado caro. (...)
Would you take _____?
Doulle _____ (...) (lit. "I give you ____")
expensive
caro (...)
cheap
barato (...)
I can't afford it.
Non o podo pagar. (...)
I don't want it.
Non o quero. (...)
You're cheating me.
Estame enganando. (...)
I'm not interested.
Non estou interesado. (..)
OK, I'll take it.
De acordo, lévoo. (...)
Can I have a bag?
Pódeme dar unha bolsa? (...)
Do you ship (overseas)?
Fan envíos (ó/ao estranxeiro)? (...)
I need...
Necesito... (...)
...brush.
...cepillo. (...)
...comb.
...pente. (...)
...toothpaste.
...pasta de dentes. (...)
...a toothbrush.
...un cepillo de dentes. (...)
...feminine napkins.
...servilletas feminino. (...)
...tampons.
...tampóns. (...)
...soap.
...xabón. (...)
...shampoo.
...xampú. (...)
...deodorant.
...desodorante. (...)
...perfume.
...perfume. (...)
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
...unha aspirina. (...)
...cold medicine.
...un medicamento para o constipado/arrefriado/catarro. (...)
...stomach medicine.
....un medicamento para o estómago (...)
...a razor.
...unha folla de afeitar/navalla. (...)
...an umbrella.
...un paraugas. (...)
...sunblock lotion.
...protector solar. (...)
...a postcard.
...unha postal. (...)
...postage stamps.
...selos. (...)
...batteries.
...pilas. (...)
...writing paper.
...papel para escribir. (...)
...a pencil.
...un lápis. (...)
...a pen.
...un bolígrafo. (...)
...English-language books.
.. libros en inglés. (...)
...English-language magazines.
...revistas en inglés. (...)
...an English-language newspaper.
...un xornal en inglés. (...)
...an English-Galician dictionary.
...un dicionario inglés-galego. (...)
Driving
I want to rent a car.
Quero alugar un coche. (...)
Can I get insurance?
Podo facer un seguro? (...)
stop (on a street sign)
stop (...)
one way
sentido único (...)
yield/Give Way
ceda o paso (...)
no parking
prohibido aparcar/prohibido estacionar (...)
speed limit
límite de velocidade / velocidade máxima(...)
gas (petrol) station
gasolineira/estación de servizo (...)
petrol
gasolina (...)
diesel
gasóleo/diésel(...)
Authority
It's his/her fault!
A culpa é del/dela! (...)
Its not what its seems.
Non é o que parece. (...)
I can explain it all.
Pódollo explicar todo. (...)
I haven't done anything wrong.
Eu non fixen nada. (...)
I swear I didn't do it Mr. Officer.
Xúrolle que non fun eu, axente. (...)
It was a misunderstanding.
Foi un malentendido. (...)
Where are you taking me?
Onde me leva? (...)
Am I under arrest?
Estou detido? (...)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
Son cidadán americano/australiano/británico/canadense. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy.
Quero falar coa embaixada americana/australiana/británica/canadense
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian consulate.
Quero falar co consulado americano/australiano/británico/canadense. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer.
Quero falar cun avogado. (...)
Can I just pay a fine now?
Podo pagar unha multa agora mesmo? (...)
This is a usable phrasebook. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use it to get by, but please plunge forward and help it grow!
