Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Chamámos um canalizador porque a torneira não fechava bem. - We called a plumber because the tap wasn’t closing well.

The accent also shows the stressed syllable: cha-MÁ-mos. This same pattern appears in many -ar verbs (e.g., falamos/falámos, ligamos/ligámos).

Why is the imperfect fechava used instead of a simple past like fechou?

The imperfect (fechava) describes an ongoing or repeated state in the past and is often used for background reasons. Here it means the tap was not closing properly at that time (an ongoing issue), which explains why you called the plumber. If you said porque a torneira não fechou, it would sound like a single, one-off failure to close.

Is chamar the normal verb for “to call” on the phone in Portugal?

Not usually. In this sentence, chamar means “to call out/summon” (to get a professional to come). For phoning:

European PT: telefonar a alguém (to phone someone), or ligar a alguém.
Brazil: more commonly ligar para alguém. You can say chamámos um canalizador even if you used the phone; it focuses on having someone come, not on the act of phoning.

Why um canalizador and not o canalizador?

Um is the indefinite article (“a plumber”), used when the person isn’t specifically identified. O canalizador (“the plumber”) would imply a known, specific plumber (e.g., the one we usually use, or the building’s plumber).

Is canalizador specific to Portugal? What do people say in Brazil?

Portugal: canalizador is standard; you may also hear picheleiro (more traditional/colloquial in some regions).
Brazil: encanador is standard. All mean “plumber.”

Why a torneira with the article? Could it be just torneira?

Portuguese generally uses the definite article with specific, known items. A torneira = “the tap,” presumably a known one in the house. Dropping the article (torneira) would sound incomplete here.

Is the a in a torneira the article “the” or the preposition “to”? What about à?

Here it’s the definite article “the.” The preposition “a” (“to”) only appears when required by the verb. À is a contraction of the preposition a + the article a; it would mean “to the,” which doesn’t fit this sentence.

Could I omit bem and say porque a torneira não fechava?

Yes, but it changes the nuance. With bem, it means “wasn’t closing properly/fully” (e.g., kept dripping). Without bem, it suggests the tap simply didn’t close at all.

Why bem and not bom?

Bem is an adverb (“well/properly”) and modifies verbs like fechar. Bom is an adjective (“good”) and modifies nouns. After a verb, use bem.

Is the word order for negation and adverbs fixed? Why não fechava bem?

Yes, standard placement is:

não (negation) comes before the verb: não fechava
adverbs like bem typically come after the verb: fechava bem So the natural order is não + verb + bem.

Could I say ligámos/telefonámos a um canalizador instead of chamámos?

Yes, if you want to emphasize the act of phoning:

ligámos a um canalizador (EU PT; BR often: ligámos para um canalizador)
telefonámos a um canalizador (EU PT) These focus on the phone call rather than on having the person come.

Do I need a comma before porque?

No comma is needed when porque introduces the reason of the main clause: Chamámos… porque… If you front the reason, then you use a comma: Porque a torneira não fechava bem, chamámos…

Can I put the reason first: Porque a torneira não fechava bem, chamámos um canalizador?

Yes. That’s perfectly natural. Just remember the comma after the initial subordinate clause.

What are the differences among porque, por que, porquê, and por quê?

porque = “because.”
por que is used in questions meaning “why” (more common in Brazil; in Portugal, people often say porque é que).
porquê (one word, with circumflex) is a noun meaning “the reason/why,” often with an article: o porquê.
por quê (separate, with accent on quê) appears at the end of a question in Brazil. In Portugal, sentence-final “why?” is usually Porquê? (one word).

Does fechar mean “to turn off” a tap? Could I use desligar?

For taps/valves, Portuguese uses abrir (turn on) and fechar (turn off). Desligar is for devices/appliances (lights, TV, phone). You might also hear fechar a água (“turn the water off”).

Why is a torneira the subject of fechava? Isn’t fechar transitive?

Fechar can be both transitive and intransitive. Transitive: Fechámos a torneira (“We closed the tap”). Intransitive: A torneira fechou (“The tap closed”). Here, the tap is the subject of an intransitive use: it “wasn’t closing” properly.

How do I say “plumber” if it’s a woman?

Grammatically, uma canalizadora is possible, and many people will understand/use it. In practice, many still say uma canalizador in job listings or opt for neutral phrasing like uma profissional de canalização; usage varies.

Any quick European Portuguese pronunciation tips for this sentence?

ch in chamámos/fechava sounds like “sh.”
á is open “a” (cha-MÁ-mos).
Final -s in Portugal often sounds like “sh”: -mos ≈ “moosh.”
r between vowels is a light tap: torneira [tor-NEI-ra].
ão in não is nasal; think “now” but nasalized.
ei in torneira sounds like “ay” in “day.”