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Eu liguei para o porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento.

Eu liguei para o porteiro e pedi o endereço do apartamento.
I called the doorman and asked for the apartment address.
FromLesson 11inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

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.
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