Call SAMU 192: Explain a Medical Emergency in Portuguese — Practice

Open the call with a short statement

SAMU is Brazil's mobile emergency medical service and is reached at 192. If the situation appears to need urgent medical response, say that clearly before explaining the full story. Follow instructions from the official call handler.

The phrases below are language practice, not a way to assess symptoms or decide whether someone needs care. Use current local emergency guidance when you need help.

Give a location and a callback number

Give the address slowly, including the city and neighborhood if known. Add a landmark or entrance detail that helps responders find the place. Be ready to repeat the street name or number.

If the call handler asks for a phone number, say each digit distinctly. Do not hang up until the dispatcher indicates the call is finished or you receive other instructions.

Answer questions without adding guesses

The call handler may ask what happened, how many people need help, or whether there are other immediate risks. Answer only what you know. If you do not understand, ask for repetition or slower speech.

A short answer is easier to understand in a stressful moment. A nearby person who speaks Portuguese can help communicate, but keep the line available for the dispatcher.

Remember: For a medical emergency in Brazil, SAMU is reached at 192. Give the location and follow the official call handler'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. I need an ambulance. It is a medical emergency.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Preciso de uma ambulância. É uma emergência médica.

2. Someone is feeling very unwell.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Uma pessoa está passando mal.

3. We are at 80 Avenida Central, apartment 12.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estamos na Avenida Central, número 80, apartamento 12.

4. The gate is beside the pharmacy.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O portão fica ao lado da farmácia.

5. I don't know what happened. I found the person like this.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Não sei o que aconteceu. Encontrei a pessoa assim.

6. Could you repeat the question, please?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode repetir a pergunta, por favor?

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.

For a medical emergency in Brazil, SAMU is reached at 192. Give the location and follow the official call handler'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 SAMU 192: Explain a Medical Emergency in 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.