Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Em momentos assim, a melhor estratégia é ficar calado e ouvir em silêncio. - In moments like this, the best strategy is to stay quiet and listen in silence.

em is the basic preposition for time situations like this, similar to English in / at in in moments like that, in difficult times.
momentos has no article here, so there is no contraction like nos momentos (em + os). The idea is more general: moments (in general) like this, not the moments.
assim here means like this / like that / of this sort, qualifying what kind of moments we are talking about.

Could we say Nesses momentos instead of Em momentos assim? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say Nesses momentos, a melhor estratégia…, and it’s perfectly correct.

Em momentos assim is a bit more generic and descriptive: in moments like this (in general).
Nesses momentos (= in those moments) sounds slightly more specific, as if the speaker has particular recurring situations in mind.
Both are natural; the choice is mostly stylistic.

Why is it a melhor estratégia and not o melhor estratégia or just melhor estratégia?

Estratégia is a feminine noun in Portuguese, so it takes the feminine article and adjective: a melhor estratégia.

With superlatives like melhor, pior, maior, menor, Portuguese almost always uses the definite article:
- a melhor ideia – the best idea
- o pior momento – the worst moment
Saying just melhor estratégia (without a) is possible in more telegraphic or headline-style language, but in normal sentences a melhor estratégia is the standard form.

What is the structure é ficar calado grammatically? Why is the verb in the infinitive?

The pattern is [subject] + é + infinitive, a very common structure in Portuguese for general statements:

A melhor estratégia é ficar calado…
Literally: The best strategy is to stay silent…

The infinitive (ficar) is used because we are talking about the action in general, not about a specific person doing it. It’s similar to English sayings like The best thing is to wait, The goal is to improve.

Could we say é estar calado instead of é ficar calado? What’s the difference?

You can say estar calado, but ficar calado is more natural here.

ficar calado: become and remain silent / stay quiet – it focuses on remaining in that state.
estar calado: simply to be silent at a given moment, with less emphasis on keeping that state.

Since we’re talking about a strategy, ficar calado fits better: it suggests deciding to keep quiet and stay that way.

Does calado change for gender and number?

Yes. Calado works like an adjective and agrees with the person (or people):

1 man: ficar calado
1 woman: ficar calada
group of men or mixed group: ficar calados
group of women only: ficar caladas

In the sentence given, ficar calado is the neutral “dictionary” form; in real use, you adapt it to who you are talking about.

Could we use calar-se instead of ficar calado? Is there a difference?

You can, but the nuance changes.

calar-se means to shut up / to fall silent; as an imperative (Cala-te!), it can sound harsh or rude.
ficar calado is more descriptive and neutral: to stay quiet / to remain silent.

For a calm, advice-like tone, a melhor estratégia é ficar calado sounds more polite and less aggressive than a version with calar-se.

What is the difference between ouvir and escutar? Could we say escutar em silêncio?

You can say escutar em silêncio, and it’s grammatically correct. The nuances are:

ouvir: to hear, and by extension to listen; the most common everyday verb.
escutar: to listen (carefully / attentively); often feels a bit more deliberate or formal.

In Portugal, people often just use ouvir even where English would say listen. So ouvir em silêncio is completely natural.

Why is it ouvir em silêncio instead of something like ouvir silenciosamente?

Both are valid, but em silêncio is much more idiomatic and common.

em silêncio literally means in silence, and Portuguese prefers this prepositional phrase.
silenciosamente is a correct adverb but tends to sound more formal, literary, or heavy.

Everyday speech and normal written Portuguese would almost always choose ouvir em silêncio.

Isn’t ficar calado and ouvir em silêncio a bit redundant? Why say both?

There is some overlap, and that’s intentional for emphasis.

ficar calado stresses not speaking.
ouvir em silêncio stresses listening quietly and attentively, without interrupting.

Together, they paint a clear picture: don’t talk, and listen carefully, completely quietly. It’s a stylistic choice that reinforces the advice.

Why is there a comma after Em momentos assim?

Em momentos assim is an introductory adverbial phrase (a time setting). In European Portuguese, it is standard to separate such opening phrases with a comma:

Em momentos assim, a melhor estratégia…
This comma marks a slight pause and clarifies that Em momentos assim modifies the whole statement that follows.

Could we change the order to …é ouvir em silêncio e ficar calado? Would that sound natural?

Yes, …é ouvir em silêncio e ficar calado is grammatically fine and understandable.

However, the original order is slightly more natural: you first stay quiet (stop talking), then you listen in silence. The sequence ficar calado e ouvir em silêncio mirrors the logical order of the actions.