Call the Fire Department in Brazil: Portuguese for 193 — Practice

Report the type of danger first

In Brazil, the Fire Department is reached at 193 for emergencies such as fires and rescues. State the danger in a short sentence, then give the location. Use the current instructions from the official dispatcher.

Do not enter a dangerous area or put yourself at risk to gather details. Say only what you can observe safely.

Describe the place and what you can see

Give the street address and a landmark. If the event is outside, name the road, direction of travel, nearby exit, or kilometer marker when visible. A clear location is more useful than a long description of how the event began.

Mention other obvious risks, such as smoke reaching another building or a blocked entrance, without approaching the hazard.

Explain whether people may be involved

If you know people are in danger, share that information. If you do not know, say so rather than making a guess. Tell the dispatcher if the situation changes while you are speaking.

Stay in a safe place and follow official instructions. If Portuguese is difficult, ask someone nearby to help with the call while you remain available to clarify what you saw.

Remember: Call 193 for an emergency involving fire or rescue, share only what you know, and follow the official response team's instructions.

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. Smoke is coming out of a house.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Há fumaça saindo de uma casa.

2. Someone needs rescue.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Uma pessoa precisa de resgate.

3. The fire is on the second floor, at the back of the building.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O fogo está no segundo andar, nos fundos do prédio.

4. The main entrance is blocked.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A entrada principal está bloqueada.

5. I don't know whether there are people inside the property.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não sei se há pessoas dentro do imóvel.

6. I can now see someone at the window.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Agora consigo ver uma pessoa na janela.

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.

Call 193 for an emergency involving fire or rescue, share only what you know, and follow the official response team's instructions.

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 Call the Fire Department in Brazil: Portuguese for 193 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.