Breakdown of Telefonei ao médico para marcar uma consulta.
o médico
the doctor (m)
a consulta
the (medical) appointment
marcar
to book, to arrange / to award (a penalty)
telefonar
to phone, to call
Questions & Answers about Telefonei ao médico para marcar uma consulta.
Why is it ao médico instead of just o médico?
The verb telefonar (to phone/call) requires the preposition a when indicating the person you are calling. Here, a combines with the masculine definite article o to form ao (to the).
Could I use ligar instead of telefonar here?
Yes, ligar is very commonly used in everyday spoken Portuguese to mean "to call" on the phone. You could say Liguei ao médico and it would mean exactly the same thing.
I usually translate "to book" as reservar. Why use marcar here?
In Portuguese, the verb marcar (literally "to mark") is the standard word used for scheduling or booking an appointment, a meeting, or a date. Reservar is used for things that take up physical space or inventory, like a hotel room, a table at a restaurant, or a flight.
Can consulta be used for any type of appointment?
No, consulta specifically refers to a consultation or appointment with a professional, most commonly in healthcare (like a doctor or dentist). For a general personal or business appointment, you would use compromisso or reunião.
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