Log inSign up

O telemóvel está aí.

O telemóvel está aí.
The mobile phone is there.
From Lesson 63:Past tense of regular -ar verbs·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O telemóvel está aí.

Why does this sentence use aí for "there" instead of ali or lá?
In Portuguese, aí specifically means "there where you are" or near the listener. If the phone was further away from both the speaker and the listener, you would use ali or lá.
Why do we use está instead of é for "is"?
The verb estar is used to describe locations, among other temporary states. Since a mobile phone is a movable object and we are pointing out its current physical location, we must use está rather than ser.
Is telemóvel the only word for "mobile phone"?
In Portugal, yes! The word telemóvel is the standard European Portuguese term. If you ever watch Brazilian content or use other language apps, you might see celular, but in Portugal it is always telemóvel.

Learn O telemóvel está aí and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Portuguese →