Portuguese at a Hotel: Explain a Room Problem and Ask for Help — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Describe the issue with one clear detail
Start with Estou com um problema no quarto (I have a problem in the room), then name what is happening. Use não está funcionando for equipment that does not work, está fazendo barulho for something making noise, or não tem água quente when the shower has no hot water. A short description helps the staff identify the right next step.
Say where the issue is and when you noticed it. If you are calling from the room, give the room number only to hotel staff through an appropriate channel.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O ar-condicionado não está funcionando. | The air conditioner isn’t working. |
| A torneira está fazendo barulho desde ontem. | The faucet has been making noise since yesterday. |
| Não tem água quente no chuveiro. | There’s no hot water in the shower. |
Request a repair or another solution
Ask whether someone can check the issue and when they expect to come. If you need to leave the room, agree on a time or ask what alternative the hotel can offer. Be specific about urgency while staying factual: preciso sair às dez (I need to leave at ten) gives the staff a useful constraint.
The words consertar (repair) and verificar (check) are useful for equipment or facilities. You can ask whether there is another room, but availability and hotel policy depend on the property.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Alguém pode verificar o ar-condicionado hoje? | Can someone check the air conditioner today? |
| A equipe pode consertar antes das dez? | Can the team repair it before ten? |
| Se não for possível, há outro quarto disponível? | If that isn’t possible, is another room available? |
Confirm the plan and follow up politely
Repeat the agreed time and action so both sides have the same expectation. If nobody arrives, call reception again and explain when you first reported the problem. Mention the earlier conversation without assuming the staff member remembers it.
This is different from checking in: our hotel check-in guide covers arrival details and questions at the front desk, while this guide helps you describe a problem during your stay.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Então alguém vai subir às nove para verificar? | So someone will come up at nine to check? |
| Liguei mais cedo sobre o chuveiro e ainda não foi resolvido. | I called earlier about the shower, and it hasn’t been resolved yet. |
| Obrigado pela ajuda. Vou aguardar no quarto. | Thank you for your help. I’ll wait in the room. (speaker: man) |
Remember: Prepare a one-sentence description, one request, and one time constraint. Repeat the staff member’s response to confirm the plan before ending the call.
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.
The air conditioner isn’t working.
Show a Portuguese answer
O ar-condicionado não está funcionando.
The faucet has been making noise since yesterday.
Show a Portuguese answer
A torneira está fazendo barulho desde ontem.
There’s no hot water in the shower.
Show a Portuguese answer
Não tem água quente no chuveiro.
Can someone check the air conditioner today?
Show a Portuguese answer
Alguém pode verificar o ar-condicionado hoje?
Can the team repair it before ten?
Show a Portuguese answer
A equipe pode consertar antes das dez?
If that isn’t possible, is another room available?
Show a Portuguese answer
Se não for possível, há outro quarto disponível?
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 a one-sentence description, one request, and one time constraint. Repeat the staff member’s response to confirm the plan before ending the call.
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 a Hotel: Explain a Room Problem and Ask for Help 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.
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