Pedi licença médica antes de tirar férias.

before

Breakdown of Pedi licença médica antes de tirar férias.

• pedir: to ask
• a licença médica: the sick leave
• tirar férias: to take one's annual vacation

Questions & Answers about Pedi licença médica antes de tirar férias.

What tense is pedi?

Pedi is the 1st person singular form of pedir in the pretérito perfeito (simple past / preterite).

• pedir = to ask for, request
• eu pedi = I asked for / I requested

In this sentence, it describes a completed action in the past.

Why does the sentence say Pedi instead of Eu pedi?

In Brazilian Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often omitted when the verb form already makes the subject clear.

• Pedi already tells you the subject is eu (I).
• So Pedi licença médica... naturally means I requested sick leave...

You can include eu for emphasis, contrast, or clarity:

• Eu pedi licença médica, não o Carlos.
  = I requested sick leave, not Carlos.

What exactly does licença médica mean?

Licença médica means medical leave or sick leave.

• licença = leave, permission, absence officially allowed
• médica = medical

So the phrase refers to time away from work or duties for health reasons, usually with medical justification.