Sending and Receiving Parcels
When managing shipments, it is important to know the key players involved. You will often deal with the supplier (o fornecedor), who sends the dispatch (a expedição) to the recipient (o destinatário).
To discuss when a delivery (a entrega) will arrive, Portuguese uses two common expressions to anchor these events in the future.
"In" the Future: Daqui a
When you want to say that something will happen a certain amount of time from now, use the expression daqui a (literally "from here to"). This is the direct equivalent of saying "in [timeframe]" in English.
| in (time from now) | daqui a |
| It is difficult to guarantee the delivery in two weeks. | É difícil garantir a entrega daqui a duas semanas. |
| The first dispatch will reach the recipient in four days. | A primeira expedição chega ao destinatário daqui a quatro dias. |
"Within" a Timeframe: Dentro de
If an event will happen anytime before a certain period has passed, use dentro de. This translates to "within" or "inside of" a specific timeframe, emphasizing a window or a deadline.
| The supplier, whose store we know, will dispatch the box within a month. | O fornecedor, cuja loja conhecemos, vai expedir a caixa dentro de um mês. |
If you are communicating with the sender (o remetente), they might provide you with tracking information (o rastreio) to monitor this delivery window.
| Won't the sender send me the tracking within five minutes? | O remetente não me envia o rastreio dentro de cinco minutos? |
Discussing Estimates
Whether you are sending a standard package or a registered envelope (registado), the distributor (o distribuidor) will usually give you an estimate (a estimativa) for the delivery. You can use both daqui a and dentro de to clearly discuss these service timelines.
| The distributor promises to deliver the registered envelope in a week. | O distribuidor promete entregar o envelope registado daqui a uma semana. |
| Who will confirm the delivery estimate for him within three hours? | Quem lhe confirma a estimativa da entrega dentro de três horas? |
