Breakdown of Ela deixou um recado no meu telemóvel.
ela
she
um
a
meu
my
em
on
deixar
to leave
o telemóvel
the phone
o recado
the message
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Questions & Answers about Ela deixou um recado no meu telemóvel.
What exactly does recado mean here? Is it a voicemail, a message, or a text?
In Portugal, recado is a short message left for someone to pass on. On the phone, deixar um recado often implies leaving a voicemail, but it can also be a message someone took for you. For texts or app messages, people usually say mensagem (or SMS for a plain text).
Could I say Ela deixou uma mensagem no meu telemóvel instead?
Yes. Ela deixou uma mensagem no meu telemóvel is perfectly natural. If you want to be explicit about voicemail, you can say Ela deixou uma mensagem de voz or Ela deixou um recado no correio de voz/na caixa de voz.
Why is it no and not em o?
Portuguese contracts the preposition em with the definite article:
- em + o = no
- em + a = na
- em + os = nos
- em + as = nas So no meu telemóvel literally means “in/on the my phone.”
Why is there a definite article with the possessive in no meu telemóvel?
In European Portuguese, possessives normally take the definite article: o meu telemóvel, a minha casa, etc. You can omit the article (meu telemóvel) in certain contexts (more formal/literary or after some prepositions), but with everyday speech o/a + possessive + noun is the norm.
What tense is deixou? What would the present be?
Deixou is 3rd person singular of the simple past (pretérito perfeito) of deixar. Present tense 3rd person singular is deixa. Examples:
- Past: Ela deixou um recado.
- Present: Ela deixa um recado. The imperfect would be deixava (was leaving/used to leave).
Could I omit Ela?
Yes. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language. You could say Deixou um recado no meu telemóvel if the subject is clear from context. Without context, ela clarifies that it’s “she” (and not “he” or “you”).
Would a European Portuguese speaker prefer Ela deixou‑me um recado?
If the point is “she left me a message,” then yes, Ela deixou‑me um recado is very idiomatic in Portugal. In European Portuguese, unstressed pronouns tend to go after the verb in affirmative main clauses (deixou‑me). In Brazil, Ela me deixou um recado is more usual.
Is it deixar um recado a alguém or para alguém?
Both occur. In Portugal, a is very common: deixar um recado a alguém or with a clitic deixar‑lhe um recado. Para is also acceptable in everyday speech (deixar um recado para alguém) and can feel a bit more like “intended for.”
Does no meu telemóvel sound natural, or should it be no correio de voz?
Both are fine. Deixar um recado no telemóvel is common shorthand and understood as “on my voicemail.” If you want to be precise, say no correio de voz or na caixa de voz.
What gender are recado and telemóvel?
Both are masculine: um recado, o meu telemóvel. That’s why it’s um recado (not uma) and meu (not minha) telemóvel.
Is telemóvel only used in Portugal? What about Brazil?
Yes. In Portugal (and some African countries), people say telemóvel. In Brazil, it’s celular. Telefone can be used generically, but in Portugal it often suggests a landline unless context says otherwise.
Could I say para o meu telemóvel instead of no meu telemóvel?
Not in this sentence. Para points to a destination (to my phone), as in ligou para o meu telemóvel (called my phone) or mandou uma mensagem para o meu telemóvel (sent a text to my phone). For something left on the device/mailbox, Portuguese uses em/no: deixou um recado no telemóvel.
Can I drop the article and say Ela deixou recado?
You’ll hear it, especially in reports like Ela deixou recado (She left a message), but the version with the article um recado is more neutral/common in many contexts. The article makes it feel less elliptical.
Does deixar also mean “to let,” not just “to leave”?
Yes. Deixar covers both:
- Leave: deixar a chave em casa (leave the key at home)
- Let/allow: deixar alguém entrar (let someone in) Also useful: deixar cair (drop), deixar de + infinitive (stop doing), deixar para depois (leave/postpone for later).
How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?
Approximation: EH‑lɐ day‑SHOH oong he‑KAH‑doo noo MEW te‑leh‑MOH‑vel. Notes:
- Initial r in recado is guttural (like French r).
- The x in deixou sounds like English sh.
- The stressed syllables are -chou, -ca-, and -mó- in telemóvel.