Programmes
Six situations. Seven days each. Real Portuguese by Sunday.
Every challenge below follows the same shape: one real situation, the exact phrases it needs, a short task for each day, and one live lesson with Maria in the middle of the week. You do not need any Portuguese to start.
How a challenge runs
The same method every time, whichever way you take it.
Private
One-to-one. The pace, the examples and the vocabulary are entirely yours.
Small group
Up to four learners with the same goal. Cheaper, and far more talking.
Online
Live video lessons from anywhere in the world, in your own time zone.
In person, Coimbra
Face-to-face lessons, plus practice out in the real city.
Order in a restaurant in one week
From reading the menu to complaining about the coffee — the full table conversation, ready before your next booking.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Reserve and order a table without switching to English
- Read a menu and ask what each dish is
- Order, change your mind, and ask for the bill
- Handle dietary needs and preferences politely
The phrase bank
10 phrases- Uma mesa para duas, por favor.A table for two, please.
- A lista, por favor.The menu, please.
- O que recomenda?What do you recommend?
- Quero o prato do dia.I'll have the daily special.
- Está muito picante.It's very spicy.
- Sem cebola, por favor.Without onion, please.
- Pode trazer a conta?Could you bring the bill?
- Está muito bom, obrigado.It's very good, thank you.
- Queria um café.I'd like a coffee.
- Para viagem.To take away.
The seven days
- Day 1
The menu
The words on the menu: drinks, starters, mains, desserts — plus how to ask what a dish contains.
- Day 2
Getting a table
Arriving, asking for a table, choosing where to sit, and how many you are. Phrases you'll use every single time.
- Day 3
The order
Ordering confidently, adding extras, and asking for something different without sounding rude.
- Day 4
Questions and changes
“Está picante?”, “É de quê?” — and the moment the waiter brings the wrong thing.
- Day 5
Problems
Sending a dish back, asking for the bill, splitting the payment, and complaining without causing offence.
- Day 6
Coffee, dessert and small talk
Closing the meal the way locals do — the coffee, the “está muito bom”, and the two-minute chat.
- Day 7
The mission
A live conversation with Maria, then a real meal out. You order, you ask, you pay — all in Portuguese.
Go to the supermarket in one week
Find what you need, ask the price, understand the labels and pay — without a word of English.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Ask where a product is and understand the answer
- Ask the price and know when something is on promotion
- Read a label: quantity, expiry date and ingredients
- Pay at the till, with card or cash
The phrase bank
10 phrases- O que procura?What are you looking for?
- Onde fica o pão?Where is the bread?
- Quanto custa?How much is it?
- Está em promoção?Is it on promotion?
- Têm este tamanho?Do you have this size?
- Qual é a validade?What's the expiry date?
- Posso pagar com cartão?Can I pay by card?
- Quer um saco?Do you want a bag?
- Isto não está bom.This isn't good.
- Mais ou menos.More or less.
The seven days
- Day 1
The layout
Produce, dairy, bakery, frozen — how a Portuguese supermarket is organised so you stop wandering.
- Day 2
Asking for things
“Onde fica...?” and the answers you'll get back, including the ones that are only a nod.
- Day 3
Prices and promotions
The language of discounts, units and weights: per kilo, per unit, “de” versus “a”.
- Day 4
Reading the label
Quantity, expiry date, ingredients and the difference between “conservado” and “fresco”.
- Day 5
Choosing fresh produce
Telling a ripe fruit from a bad one, asking for a different one, and saying what you don't want.
- Day 6
The till
Paying by card or cash, whether you need a receipt, and what to say when the total looks wrong.
- Day 7
The mission
A live shop with Maria on a video call: find three products, ask the price, and pay.
Get around town in one week
Ask for directions, understand the answer, buy a ticket and catch the right bus or train.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Ask for directions and understand the reply
- Buy a transport ticket and validate it
- Say when you're lost and describe where you are
- Get home from a place you've never been
The phrase bank
10 phrases- Onde fica a estação?Where is the station?
- Quer ir para onde?Where do you want to go?
- É longe?Is it far?
- Pode repetir, por favor?Can you repeat, please?
- Mais devagar, por favor.Slower, please.
- É esta paragem?Is this the stop?
- Preciso de um bilhete.I need a ticket.
- A que horas passa?What time does it pass?
- Estou perdido.I'm lost.
- Fica perto de...?Is it near...?
The seven days
- Day 1
Places and directions
“Praça”, “avenida”, “ruela” — the words that describe where things are and how to describe where you are.
- Day 2
Asking a stranger
How to interrupt politely and ask a complete question without sounding rude.
- Day 3
Understanding the answer
Left, right, straight, opposite, at the traffic lights — decoding directions by ear.
- Day 4
Tickets and transport
Buying a ticket, asking the price, and the difference between a day pass and a single ride.
- Day 5
Announcements and timetables
Hearing “o próximo vai para...” and knowing whether to get on or wait.
- Day 6
When things go wrong
Missing the last bus, wrong platform, wrong ticket — how to recover in Portuguese.
- Day 7
The mission
A live route-planning session with Maria, then navigate your own city to a place you've never visited.
See a doctor in one week
Describe the problem, understand the answer, and leave the pharmacy with the right medicine.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Explain a symptom in simple Portuguese
- Understand basic instructions from a doctor
- Buy medicine and ask the right questions at the pharmacy
- Book an appointment and give your details
The phrase bank
10 phrases- Preciso de um médico.I need a doctor.
- Onde fica a farmácia?Where is the pharmacy?
- Tem dor aqui.You have pain here.
- É uma alergia.It's an allergy.
- Estou com febre.I have a fever.
- Preciso de uma receita.I need a prescription.
- Como se toma isto?How do you take this?
- Quantas vezes por dia?How many times a day?
- Pode marcar uma hora?Can you book an appointment?
- Vou melhorar.I'll get better.
The seven days
- Day 1
Body and symptoms
The body vocabulary you need to point at the place that hurts.
- Day 2
At the reception
Making an appointment, giving your name, and saying how you feel.
- Day 3
In the consultation
Answering “desde quando?” and “é a primeira vez?” — the two questions every doctor asks.
- Day 4
Understanding the advice
How to ask the doctor to repeat, slow down, or explain in simpler words.
- Day 5
The pharmacy
Describing the problem, asking for the generic, and understanding the dosage.
- Day 6
Numbers and measurements
Temperature, weight, dosage, days — the numbers you'll hear most.
- Day 7
The mission
A role-play consultation with Maria, then a real appointment — entirely in Portuguese.
Sort out the bank in one week
Open an account, use an ATM, understand a bill and pay it without standing in silence at the counter.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Open a bank account and ask what documents you need
- Use an ATM confidently and in the right order
- Read a bill and find the reference and the amount
- Ask about a charge you don't recognise
The phrase bank
10 phrases- Queria abrir uma conta.I'd like to open an account.
- Que documentos preciso?What documents do I need?
- Onde posso levantar dinheiro?Where can I withdraw money?
- Quanto tenho na conta?How much do I have in the account?
- A minha conta é esta.My account is this one.
- Preciso de uma referência.I need a reference.
- Queria pagar uma fatura.I'd like to pay a bill.
- Não reconheço esta cobrança.I don't recognise this charge.
- Posso falar com o gerente?Can I speak to the manager?
- Está marcado para hoje?Is it scheduled for today?
The seven days
- Day 1
Money words
Conta, saldo, transferência, levantamento — the five nouns that unlock every bank conversation.
- Day 2
Opening an account
What to ask for, which documents to bring, and the questions the bank will ask you.
- Day 3
The ATM
Withdrawing, checking your balance, and reading the screen when something goes wrong.
- Day 4
Bills and references
Electricity, water, phone — finding the amount, the due date and the reference number.
- Day 5
Paying and transfers
Paying in person, paying online, and sending money to someone else.
- Day 6
Problems and charges
A fee you didn't expect, a blocked card, a name that isn't yours — how to complain correctly.
- Day 7
The mission
A full role-play at the counter with Maria, then you do it for real.
Make a friend in one week
Move beyond “hello”. Real conversations with Portuguese people — and the etiquette that goes with them.
1 live lesson + 6 days of guided practice
By the end of the week you can
- Keep a conversation going past the second answer
- Understand Portuguese humour and respond to it
- Use the informal “tu” correctly at the right moment
- Make an invitation and accept one
The phrase bank
10 phrases- Tudo bem?How are you?
- Como te chamas?What's your name?
- De onde és?Where are you from?
- O que fazes?What do you do?
- Gostei muito.I really liked it.
- Amanhã vou ao café.Tomorrow I'm going to the café.
- Queres ir comigo?Do you want to go with me?
- Estás a gozar comigo?Are you messing with me?
- Faz sentido.That makes sense.
- Até logo!See you later!
The seven days
- Day 1
Openers
How to start a conversation with a stranger without the awkward pause.
- Day 2
Keeping it going
The follow-up questions that turn “yes, fine” into a real conversation.
- Day 3
Past, present, future
Telling a short story about your week — the grammar real conversation actually needs.
- Day 4
Humour and idiom
Portuguese jokes, sarcasm and the phrases that only work between friends.
- Day 5
Tu and você
When to switch, who to call by their first name, and how not to sound too formal.
- Day 6
Plans and invitations
Proposing, accepting, and politely refusing without offending anyone.
- Day 7
The mission
A real conversation with Maria — no notes, no script — and feedback on how you sounded.
Not on the list?
Tell Maria what you need to do.
A job interview, a rental contract, a school drop-off, a pharmacy visit. If it matters to you, it can be a one-week challenge.
Describe your situationOr read how Maria teaches.
Lessons take place in Coimbra, Portugal, and online worldwide.