Portuguese Phrase
Você vende selos internacionais?
Meaning
A polite question asking whether the shopkeeper sells stamps that can be used for mailing letters or parcels abroad. It implies the speaker needs to send something internationally and is checking availability.
When to use
Use this phrase at a post office (Correios), a souvenir shop, or any place that sells stationery. It’s especially handy for travelers who need to buy international postage before leaving Brazil.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vocêvendeselosinternacionais
Você (pronoun)
Second‑person singular pronoun used in most of Brazil; conjugates verbs in the third‑person singular form.
vende (verbo vender)
Present indicative, 2nd person singular (you sell). Regular -er verb: eu vendo, tu vendes, ele/ela vende.
selos (substantivo)
Plural of selo, meaning ‘stamp’. In Portuguese nouns agree in number with adjectives.
internacionais (adjetivo)
Plural form of internacional; must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (selos).
🗨In Conversation
Você vende selos internacionais?
Do you sell international stamps?
Sim, temos. Quantos você precisa?
Yes, we do. How many do you need?
✕Common Mistakes
Você vende selos internacional?
Adjectives must agree in number with the noun; use the plural ‘internacionais’ with ‘selos’.
Você tem selos internacionais?
‘Tem’ means ‘have’; while understandable, it changes the nuance from ‘sell’ to ‘have in stock’. Use ‘vende’ if you want to ask about selling.
Você vendes selos internacionais?
In most of Brazil the verb is conjugated as ‘vende’ with ‘você’; ‘vendes’ is regional (southern) and may sound odd to many speakers.
↔Alternatives
Você tem selos internacionais?
Do you have international stamps?
Vocês vendem selos para o exterior?
Do you sell stamps for abroad?
Posso comprar selos internacionais aqui?
Can I buy international stamps here?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, stamps are called ‘selos’ and are often bought at the national postal service, Correios. International stamps usually feature famous Brazilian landmarks or cultural icons, and they are sold in packs of 10, 20 or 50. When asking for them, using the polite ‘Você’ is standard, but in a very informal setting you might hear ‘Tu vendes…’ in the southern states.