Quem quer que chegue atrasado ao turno deve avisar o chefe de equipa.

Whoever arrives late for the shift must inform the team leader.

Breakdown of Quem quer que chegue atrasado ao turno deve avisar o chefe de equipa.

• de: of
• chegar: to arrive
• atrasado: late
• dever: must
• a equipa: the team
• o chefe: the boss
• avisar: to inform
• o turno: the shift
• quem quer que: whoever

Questions & Answers about Quem quer que chegue atrasado ao turno deve avisar o chefe de equipa.

What does Quem quer que mean here, and how is it different from just quem?

Quem quer que is a fixed expression meaning whoever / anyone who, usually with a slightly formal or written tone.

• Quem alone can mean who / whoever, depending on context:
  
  • Quem chegar atrasado deve avisar… = Whoever arrives late must inform…
• Quem quer que makes the idea of any person, no matter who more explicit, a bit like whoever it may be.

So:

• Quem chegar atrasado… ≈ neutral, very common.
• Quem quer que chegue atrasado… ≈ more emphatic or formal: “whoever (it may be) who arrives late…”

Why is it chegue and not chega after Quem quer que?

Chegue is the present subjunctive of chegar.

The expression quem quer que always triggers the subjunctive, because you are talking about an unknown, indefinite person – it’s not a concrete, identified subject.

• chegar (to arrive) – present indicative:
  
  • eu chego, tu chegas, ele/ela chega
• present subjunctive:
  
  • (que) eu chegue, tu chegues, ele/ela chegue

After quem quer que, you use the present subjunctive:

• Quem quer que chegue atrasado… ✅
• Quem quer que chega atrasado… ❌ (ungrammatical)

Could I also say Quem chegar atrasado ao turno deve avisar o chefe de equipa? Is there a difference?

Yes, that sentence is correct and very natural:

• Quem chegar atrasado ao turno deve avisar o chefe de equipa.

Here chegar is in the future subjunctive (quem chegar), which is extremely common in Portuguese in these “whoever / anyone who” rules.

Differences in feel:

• Quem quer que chegue atrasado… – more formal, legal or written style.
• Quem chegar atrasado… – still appropriate in written rules, but feels a bit more neutral and natural in everyday Portuguese.

Both mean “Whoever arrives late for the shift must inform the team leader.”

Why is atrasado used with chegar? Could I say chegar tarde instead?

Chegar atrasado is the normal expression for “to arrive late (compared to the expected time)”, especially for appointments, work, class, etc.

• chegar atrasado (ao turno) = not on time for the shift.

Chegar tarde is more about late in the day / at night / later than usual, and can be more about the time of day than about breaking a schedule:

• Cheguei tarde a casa. = I got home late (in the evening / at night).
• Cheguei atrasado ao trabalho. = I arrived late for work (not on time).

In this sentence, because it’s about a work shift and punctuality, chegar atrasado is exactly what you want.

What does ao turno mean, and why ao instead of no or para o?

Ao turno is a + o turno contracted:

• a (to) + o turno (the shift) → ao turno.

With chegar, a is the standard preposition to express arriving at a place/event/time slot:

• chegar ao trabalho – arrive at work
• chegar à escola – arrive at school
• chegar ao turno – arrive for / to the shift

Alternatives:

• chegar para o turno – also possible, but emphasizes more the idea of “for that shift” (more about purpose or assignment).
• chegar no turno – not standard in European Portuguese; in Brazil, chegar no is very common, but in Portugal you should stick to chegar a / ao / à.

Why is it deve avisar (singular) and not devem avisar, since it refers to any worker?

Grammatically, quem is treated as third person singular, even if it refers to “whoever (it may be)”:

• Quem quer que chegue atrasado… deve avisar…
  (literally: “Whoever arrives late… he/she must inform…”)

So standard grammar uses singular agreement:

• Quem chegar atrasado deve avisar… ✅
• Quem chegar atrasado devem avisar… ❌ (non‑standard, though you may hear it in speech)

Even though the idea is “any person”, the verb and pronouns that refer back to quem stay in the singular.

What is the nuance of deve avisar? Could I say tem de avisar or deveria avisar instead?

All three are possible, but they don’t feel the same:

• deve avisar – strong obligation/rule, very suitable for regulations, posters, instructions.
  → “must inform”
• tem de avisar – also strong obligation; more everyday / conversational.
  → “has to inform”
• deveria avisar – weaker, more like a recommendation or expectation.
  → “should inform”

In a rule about work shifts, deve avisar or tem de avisar both fit; deve avisar sounds a bit more formal and written.

Why chefe de equipa and not chefe da equipa? Is there a difference?

Yes, there is a nuance:

• chefe de equipa – sounds like a role or job title, “team leader / team supervisor” in general.
  → “the team leader” (as a position)
• chefe da equipa – refers more to the head of that specific team, highlighting that this person belongs to that concrete team.
  → “the chief/head of the team”

In work rules and generic instructions, chefe de equipa is very common, because it talks about the position, not a specific individual team structure.

Why is it equipa and not equipe? Is this a European Portuguese thing?

Exactly. In European Portuguese, the normal spelling is:

• equipa (team)

In Brazilian Portuguese, you’ll see:

• equipe

So:

• Portugal: chefe de equipa
• Brazil: chefe de equipe

If you’re learning Portuguese from Portugal, stick to equipa.

Why is it avisar o chefe and not avisar ao chefe?

With avisar in contemporary European Portuguese, the most usual pattern is:

• avisar alguém (de/que algo)
  → avisar o chefe (direct object)

For example:

• Tenho de avisar o chefe. – I have to inform the boss.
• Avisei o chefe de que ia chegar atrasado. – I informed the boss that I was going to be late.

Older or more formal patterns like avisar algo a alguém (inform something to someone) exist, but avisar o chefe is the standard, natural choice today, so you don’t add a before chefe in this sentence.