🇵🇹 Healthcare language guide · Checked 23 July 2026 · 12 min
Portuguese Medical Phrases: Doctor, Pharmacy and Emergencies in Portugal
Medical communication needs exact information: what hurts, when it started, allergies, current medication and what to do next. These phrases help you communicate that information without pretending to understand clinical advice you missed.
Emergency contacts in Portugal
Call 112 for a medical emergency. The official government page states that the number operates 24 hours a day and calls are free. SNS 24, at 808 24 24 24, provides clinical triage, advice and referral. Do not delay an emergency call in order to find or practise a sentence.
Check Portugal's official emergency contactsThe essential healthcare vocabulary
- consulta: an appointment or consultation;
- centro de saúde: primary healthcare centre;
- número de utente: SNS user number;
- receita médica: medical prescription;
- urgência: urgent care or emergency department, depending on context;
- emergência: an emergency.
A consulta is not necessarily urgent. When booking, describe whether you need a routine appointment, a same-day acute consultation or emergency help, then follow the service's guidance.
24 phrases for appointments, pharmacies and emergencies
| European Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Tenho uma consulta marcada para as dez. | I have an appointment scheduled for ten. |
| Preciso de marcar uma consulta. | I need to book an appointment. |
| Este é o meu número de utente. | This is my SNS user number. |
| Há alguma vaga hoje? | Is there an appointment available today? |
| Tenho febre. | I have a fever. |
| Tenho tosse. | I have a cough. |
| Dói-me a garganta. | My throat hurts. |
| Dói-me aqui. | It hurts here. |
| Tenho estes sintomas há três dias. | I have had these symptoms for three days. |
| A dor começou ontem. | The pain started yesterday. |
| Sou alérgico/alérgica à penicilina. | I am allergic to penicillin. |
| Estou a tomar este medicamento. | I am taking this medicine. |
| Pode falar mais devagar, por favor? | Could you speak more slowly, please? |
| Pode escrever as instruções? | Could you write down the instructions? |
| Onde fica a farmácia mais próxima? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
| Tem este medicamento? | Do you have this medicine? |
| Existe um genérico? | Is there a generic version? |
| Como devo tomar este medicamento? | How should I take this medicine? |
| Preciso de receita médica? | Do I need a prescription? |
| Com que frequência devo tomar este medicamento? | How often should I take this medicine? |
| Antes ou depois das refeições? | Before or after meals? |
| Preciso de marcar outra consulta? | Do I need another appointment? |
| É uma emergência. | It is an emergency. |
| Chame uma ambulância, por favor. | Call an ambulance, please. |
Booking a primary-care appointment
The current SNS 24 guidance says that appointment requests depend on registration at a health unit and the slots that the unit makes available. The user may be asked for their número de utente. Requests can be made through the SNS 24 portal, app, phone line or participating desk, but confirmation comes from the health unit.
Check the current SNS 24 appointment instructions rather than relying on a saved screenshot or an old relocation guide.
Describe a symptom with four facts
- Location: Dói-me aqui.
- Type or symptom: Tenho febre / tosse.
- Start: A dor começou ontem.
- Duration: Tenho estes sintomas há três dias.
Do not replace exact dates, doses, allergies or medication names with a vague memorised sentence. Bring the written name or packaging when appropriate and ask the professional to write down instructions you did not understand.
Medication and allergy safety
Sou alérgico is used by a male speaker and sou alérgica by a female speaker. State the exact substance, not only “I have allergies”. For current medication, Estou a tomar este medicamento is standard European Portuguese.
Repeat the dose and schedule back to the professional, then ask for written instructions. This article teaches language only; it does not determine whether a medicine, dose or care pathway is appropriate.
At the pharmacy
Show the exact written medicine name when asking Tem este medicamento?. Ask whether a prescription is required, whether a generic exists and how the medicine should be taken. Do not infer equivalence between brands or active ingredients from a translated name alone.
A practical role-play
Practise a five-turn consultation: identify yourself, describe one symptom, say when it started, state one medication or allergy, then ask the professional to repeat the next step. Change the symptom and timeline on the second attempt so that you are processing meaning rather than reciting a script.
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