Portuguese at the Vet: Explain Your Pet’s Needs in Brazil — Practice

Make an appointment and identify your pet

At a veterinary clinic, begin with a simple request: preciso marcar uma consulta (I need to schedule an appointment). Say whether the pet is a dog or cat, give its name, and ask what times are available.

Cachorro means dog, gato means cat, and veterinário or veterinária refers to a veterinarian. If your pet uses medication or has a known condition, bring the relevant information and explain it clearly to the professional.

Describe what you observed

Describe what you noticed and when it began. Avoid diagnosing the problem in Portuguese; give the veterinarian specific observations, such as when your pet ate or what behavior changed.

Use desde (since/for) with a starting point or há with a duration. A short timeline can help you explain what changed without guessing about the cause.

Check the instructions before you leave

If you miss a detail, ask the veterinarian to repeat it or write it down. You can confirm the time, amount, or next appointment in your own words so the professional can correct a misunderstanding.

Follow the veterinarian’s advice for your pet. These expressions support communication; they are not medical guidance or a substitute for a professional evaluation.

Remember: Prepare your pet’s name, the date a change began, and one question about the next step. Ask the veterinarian to clarify anything you did not understand.

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 to schedule an appointment for my dog.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Preciso marcar uma consulta para o meu cachorro.

2. His name is Bento.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   O nome dele é Bento.

3. What times are available?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quais horários estão disponíveis?

4. He started coughing yesterday.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ele começou a tossir ontem.

5. She didn’t eat this morning.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela não comeu hoje de manhã.

6. This has been happening for two days.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Isso acontece há dois dias.

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.

Prepare your pet’s name, the date a change began, and one question about the next step. Ask the veterinarian to clarify anything you did not understand.

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 Portuguese at the Vet: Explain Your Pet’s Needs in Brazil 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.