Breakdown of Eu liguei para o porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento.
eu
I
e
and
do
of the
pedir
to ask for
ligar para
to call
o porteiro
the doorman
o endereço
the address
o apartamento
the apartment
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Questions & Answers about Eu liguei para o porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento.
Do I have to say the subject pronoun Eu, or can I drop it?
You can drop it. The verb endings already show the subject, so Brazilians often say simply: Liguei para o porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento.
Use Eu for emphasis or contrast: Eu liguei, não ele. (I called, not him.)
Why is it liguei para (someone) and not just liguei (someone)?
In Brazilian Portuguese:
- ligar para alguém = to call someone (by phone).
- ligar algo = to turn something on (e.g., ligar a TV).
So liguei o porteiro would sound like “I turned the doorman on,” which is wrong here. Use ligar para o porteiro.
Can I use the contraction pro instead of para o?
Yes, in informal speech and most casual writing:
- Liguei pro porteiro… = Liguei para o porteiro… Contractions you’ll hear:
- para o → pro
- para a → pra
- para os → pros
- para as → pras For careful or formal writing, stick with para o / para a.
Could I say Liguei ao porteiro?
It’s understood, but in Brazil it sounds formal or European. The Brazilian default is ligar para alguém. In Portugal, ligar a alguém is common.
Why is there an article: o porteiro? Can I say just “para porteiro”?
Portuguese normally uses the definite article with specific people and jobs: o porteiro, a professora.
Saying para porteiro (without the article) sounds wrong here. You can drop the article only in vocatives: Porteiro, por favor!
What does do in do apartamento mean?
It’s the contraction of de + o (“of the”).
- o endereço do apartamento = “the address of the apartment.”
Other common contractions: - de + a → da
- a + o → ao
- em + o → no
- por + o → pelo
Why is it pedi o endereço and not perguntei o endereço?
- pedir = to ask for something (a request): Pedi o endereço.
- perguntar = to ask a question: Perguntei qual é o endereço.
So you either “ask for the address” (pedir o endereço) or “ask what the address is” (perguntar qual é o endereço).
Saying perguntei o endereço is not idiomatic.
If I want to include the person I asked, should I use a or para with pedir?
Preferred/neutral:
- pedir algo a alguém: Pedi o endereço ao porteiro. Very common in Brazil (especially in speech), though sometimes criticized in formal writing:
- pedir algo para alguém: Pedi o endereço para o porteiro. When asking someone to do something, Brazilians strongly prefer:
- pedir para alguém + infinitive: Pedi para o porteiro me passar o endereço.
Which past tense is liguei/pedi, and how is it used?
It’s the simple past (pretérito perfeito), used for completed actions, often in sequence:
- Liguei… e pedi… (I called and then asked.) The imperfect (ligava/pedia) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions:
- Eu ligava para o porteiro sempre que precisava. (I used to call…)
How do I pronounce tricky parts like liguei and porteiro?
- liguei: lee-GAY. The u in -guei is silent; it keeps the hard “g.”
- porteiro: por-TAY-ro.
- e (the “and”): pronounced like “ee.”
- o (article) before consonants often sounds like “oo” (Brazilian: “u”).
- pedi: pe-JEE (in much of Brazil, the “d” before “i” sounds like “j”).
- apartamento: ah-par-tah-MEN-to.
Is there a more formal way to say “I called”?
You can use telefonar:
- Telefonei para o porteiro… (more formal/neutral) In everyday Brazilian speech, ligar is more common.
Can I replace o endereço do apartamento with something else if I mean the apartment number?
Yes:
- Address: o endereço do apartamento (or simply o endereço if context is clear)
- Apartment number: o número do apartamento Examples:
- Pedi o endereço ao porteiro.
- Pedi o número do apartamento ao porteiro.
Is porteiro the same as zelador or síndico?
No:
- porteiro: doorman/concierge (works at the entrance, handles intercoms/visitors).
- zelador: superintendent/janitor/caretaker (maintenance, building upkeep).
- síndico: building manager/HOA president (administrative role).
Could I use a clitic like lhe: Pedi-lhe o endereço?
Yes, it’s grammatical and sounds formal, more common in Portugal or very formal Brazilian writing: Pedi-lhe o endereço do apartamento.
In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, you’d more likely hear:
- Pedi o endereço para ele/para o porteiro. or Pedi o endereço ao porteiro.
Any quick informal variants of the original sentence I should recognize?
- Liguei pro porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento. (very common)
- Liguei pra portaria e pedi o endereço do apartamento. (calling the front desk/guard station)
- With an infinitive request: Liguei pro porteiro e pedi pra me passar o endereço.