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Na rotunda, segue em frente e depois vira à direita na esquina do café.

Na rotunda, segue em frente e depois vira à direita na esquina do café.
At the roundabout, go straight and then turn right at the corner of the café.
FromLesson 33inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Na rotunda, segue em frente e depois vira à direita na esquina do café.

What does the contraction in Na rotunda mean?
Na = em + a (in/at + the, feminine). So Na rotunda means “at the roundabout.”
Why is it à direita with a grave accent?
The accent marks the contraction a + a = à (preposition + feminine article). It’s a fixed expression for directions: à direita (to/on the right) and à esquerda (to/on the left). In European Portuguese this accent is mandatory here.
Can I write a direita without the accent?
Not for directions. À direita is the correct form. A direita (no accent) can be read as “the right (side/wing),” not the directional “to the right.”
What does do in na esquina do café stand for?
Do = de + o (of/from + the, masculine). Na esquina do café means “at the café’s corner / on the corner by the café.”
Is segue an imperative or a present-tense form?
It looks like both. Here it’s the affirmative imperative for tu (you, informal): from tu segues (present) you drop the final -s → segue. Context tells you it’s a command. The 3rd person present is also ele/ela segue.
How would I say this politely to a stranger in Portugal?
Use the polite/3rd-person imperative: Na rotunda, siga em frente e depois vire à direita na esquina do café. (You can also address someone as o senhor / a senhora implicitly with these forms.)
How do I address more than one person?
Use vocês imperatives (present subjunctive forms): Na rotunda, sigam em frente e depois virem à direita na esquina do café.
Can I use continua or vai instead of segue?

Yes, all are common in EP:

  • Segue em frente (continue straight)
  • Continua em frente
  • Vai em frente They’re near-synonyms; segue/continua can sound slightly more “instruction-like.”
Why em frente and not em frente de?
  • Em frente = “straight ahead” (direction).
  • Em frente de = “in front of” (location: opposite/facing something). For directions, use em frente.
Can I say virar para a direita instead of virar à direita?
Yes, virar para a direita is also used and understood. The most idiomatic road-direction phrase in EP is virar à direita / à esquerda.
Why is it na esquina and not à esquina?
Because you’re talking about being “at/on the corner” (location), which takes em → na. À indicates motion toward a side/direction (e.g., à direita).
Does esquina mean any corner?
Esquina is specifically a street corner. Canto is a corner of a room or an object. For directions outdoors, use esquina.
What’s the difference between rotunda and Brazilian usage?
In Portugal, rotunda is standard. In Brazil, rotatória (or rótula regionally) is common; rotunda is rare there.
On a roundabout, what does segue em frente imply?
It means “go straight across the roundabout,” i.e., take the exit that continues your general direction (often, but not always, the second exit). Locals might also say the exit number for clarity.
Any pitfalls with word order around depois?
You’ll most often hear … e depois vira …. Placing depois later (… e vira depois …) can sound like “turn later,” which is vaguer.
How do I pronounce the tricky bits?

Approximate European Portuguese:

  • rotunda: roh-TOON-duh (initial r is a guttural h-ish sound)
  • segue: SEH-geh (hard g; the final vowel is very short/weak)
  • em (in em frente): nasalized, like “ẽ”
  • frente: FREN-teh
  • vira: VEE-rah
  • à: “ah” (short, open)
  • esquina: esh-KEE-nuh
  • café: kah-FEH (stress on the last syllable)
Is voltar ever used for turning?
Not for a normal left/right turn. Voltar means to go back/return. For turning at a junction, use virar or dar a volta (the latter is “make a U-turn / go around”).
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