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Means of transport take 'de': 'de carro', 'de avião', but 'a pé'

To say how you get somewhere in Portuguese, put de in front of the vehicle and leave out the article: de carro (by car), de avião (by plane), de bicicleta (by bike), de ônibus or de autocarro (by bus). The big exception is walking. That is a pé (on foot), and riding a horse follows the same pattern: a cavalo.

English speakers trip over this for two reasons. English uses by, which tempts learners to reach for por (por carro is wrong). English also says on foot, which suggests em pé. But em pé means something else entirely: standing up.

Word list
autocarromA1 bus PT: de autocarro = by bus aviãomA1 airplane de avião = by airplane bicicletafA1 bicycle de bicicleta = by bicycle carromA1 car de carro = by car cavalomA1 horse a cavalo = on horseback comboiomA1 train PT: de comboio = by train ir a péA1 to walk ir a pé = to walk ônibusmA1 bus BR: de ônibus = by bus pémA1 foot a pé = on foot tremmA1 train BR: de trem = by train ambulânciafA2 ambulance de ambulância = by ambulance andar de bicicletaA2 to cycle andar de bicicleta = to cycle automóvelmA2 car de automóvel = by car barcomA2 boat de barco = by boat bondemA2 tram BR: de bonde = by tram camiãomA2 truck PT: de camião = by truck caminhãomA2 truck BR: de caminhão = by truck elétricomA2 tram PT: de elétrico = by tram elevadormA2 elevator de elevador = by elevator metrômA2 subway BR: de metrô = by subway metromA2 subway PT: de metro = by subway motafA2 motorcycle PT: de mota = by motorcycle motofA2 motorcycle de moto = by motorcycle motocicletafA2 motorcycle de motocicleta = by motorcycle naviomA2 ship de navio = by ship táximA2 taxi de táxi = by taxi transporte públicomA2 public transport de transporte público = by public transport balsafB1 ferry BR: de balsa = by ferry botemB1 boat de bote = by boat caminhonetefB1 pickup truck BR: de caminhonete = by pickup truck carrinhafB1 van PT: de carrinha = by van carrinha de caixa abertafB1 pickup truck PT: de carrinha de caixa aberta = by pickup truck espaçonavefB1 spaceship BR: de espaçonave = by spaceship ferrymB1 ferry PT: de ferry = by ferry furgãomB1 van de furgão = by van nave espacialfB1 spaceship de nave espacial = by spaceship picapefB1 pickup truck BR: de picape = by pickup truck submarinomB1 submarine de submarino = by submarine transporte coletivomB1 public transport BR: de transporte coletivo = by public transport vanfB1 van BR: de van = by van andar a cavaloB2 to ride a horse andar a cavalo = to ride a horse astronavefB2 spaceship de astronave = by spaceship caiaquemB2 kayak de caiaque = by kayak cargueiromB2 cargo ship de cargueiro = by cargo ship helicópteromB2 helicopter de helicóptero = by helicopter iatemB2 yacht de iate = by yacht limusinafB2 limousine PT: de limusina = by limousine limusinefB2 limousine de limusine = by limousine montar a cavaloB2 to ride a horse montar a cavalo = to ride a horse motociclomB2 motorcycle PT: de motociclo = by motorcycle navio de cargamB2 cargo ship de navio de carga = by cargo ship pick-upfB2 pickup truck de pick-up = by pickup truck barco a vapormC1 steamship de barco a vapor = by steamship canoafC1 canoe de canoa = by canoe carruagemfC1 carriage de carruagem = by carriage esqueitemC1 skateboard BR: de esqueite = by skateboard jangadafC1 raft BR: de jangada = by raft navio a vapormC1 steamship de navio a vapor = by steamship skatemC1 skateboard de skate = by skateboard tanquemC1 tank de tanque = by tank trenómC1 sled de trenó = by sled carro de combatemC2 tank de carro de combate = by tank disco voadormC2 flying saucer de disco voador = by flying saucer tratormC2 tractor de trator = by tractor viaturafC2 patrol car de viatura = by patrol car
How it works

The pattern is simply verb + de + vehicle, with no o, a, um or uma. It works with any verb of movement: ir, vir, voltar, viajar, chegar. The vehicle stays in the singular and never takes an article, even when it is feminine: de bicicleta, de moto.

Rule of thumb: if the English sentence says by + vehicle, Portuguese says de + vehicle.

Vou para o trabalho de metrô, mas volto a pé.
(I go to work by subway, but I walk back.)
Eles viajaram de avião.
(They traveled by plane.)
The words

Several vehicles have one word in Brazil and another in Portugal. The construction is identical in both countries.

  • Cars and road vehicles: carro, automóvel, táxi, caminhão (BR) / camião (PT), van (BR) / carrinha (PT), furgão
  • Public transport: ônibus (BR) / autocarro (PT), trem (BR) / comboio (PT), metrô (BR) / metro (PT), bonde (BR) / elétrico (PT), and the general transporte público or transporte coletivo
  • Two wheels: bicicleta, moto, motocicleta, mota (PT), motociclo (PT)
  • On water: barco, bote, navio, balsa (BR) / ferry (PT), canoa, caiaque, iate
  • In the air: avião, helicóptero
Nós vamos de ônibus para a escola.
(We go to school by bus.)
Em Lisboa, ela vai sempre de comboio para o trabalho.
(In Lisbon, she always goes to work by train.)
Fomos de táxi para o aeroporto.
(We went to the airport by taxi.)
O meu irmão vai de moto para a faculdade.
(My brother goes to university by motorbike.)
Atravessamos o rio de balsa.
(We crossed the river by ferry.)

The verb andar (to ride, to travel around) uses the same de. So andar de bicicleta means to ride a bike, and andar de carro means to ride in a car.

Aos domingos, ando de bicicleta no parque.
(On Sundays, I ride my bike in the park.)
Watch out
Walking and horses take a

You go a pé (on foot) and ride a cavalo (on horseback). Never say de pé. The fixed expressions are ir a pé (to walk somewhere), andar a cavalo and montar a cavalo (to ride a horse).

A escola é perto, por isso vamos a pé.
(The school is close, so we walk.)
A minha filha aprendeu a andar a cavalo.
(My daughter learned to ride a horse.)
Em pé means standing

It describes your posture, not how you travel.

O ônibus estava cheio e fiquei em pé.
(The bus was full and I had to stand.)
A particular vehicle takes em + article

De + noun without an article names the type of transport. When you mean one specific vehicle, usually someone's car or a certain bus, use em + article: no, na, num.

Fui no carro da minha irmã.
(I went in my sister's car.)
No por

Por carro and por avião are the classic English-speaker mistake. Use de.

Summary

For how you travel, use de + vehicle with no article: de carro, de trem, de comboio, de avião, de bicicleta. The exceptions are a pé (on foot) and a cavalo (on horseback). Keep em pé for standing, and use no or na only when you mean one particular vehicle, such as no carro do João.