Ask Someone to Call Emergency Services in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice

Get attention and name the service

Start with com licença (excuse me) or por favor (please), then say what action you need. If you know which service applies, name it: SAMU, bombeiros, or polícia.

You can state the service number too: 192 for SAMU, 193 for the Fire Department, or 190 for Military Police. Use the appropriate number for the emergency and follow official guidance.

Point out the situation and location

If you are asking a specific person, use você and point to the place when it is safe to do so. Give a street, landmark, or building entrance so the person can communicate the location accurately.

If multiple people are around, address one person directly instead of shouting a vague request to the whole group.

Confirm that the call was made

Ask whether the person has called and whether they need information from you. If the dispatcher calls back or asks for details, be ready to speak or ask someone to interpret. Keep your request simple if you are under stress.

If the person cannot help, ask another bystander or use the emergency number directly when possible.

Remember: A direct request names one person, one action, and the service needed.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Please call SAMU at 192.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Por favor, chame o SAMU pelo 192.

2. Could you call the Fire Department at 193?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode chamar os bombeiros pelo 193?

3. You, in the blue shirt, could you call the police?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você, de camisa azul, pode ligar para a polícia?

4. We are at the station entrance, near the ticket office.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estamos na entrada da estação, perto da bilheteria.

5. Were you able to call?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você já conseguiu ligar?

6. Could you say that we need help at 10 Rua A?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode dizer que precisamos de ajuda na Rua A, número 10?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

A direct request names one person, one action, and the service needed.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Ask Someone to Call Emergency Services in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.