Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Está lá? Não ouço nada.

Está lá? Não ouço nada.

Hello? I cannot hear anything.

Breakdown of Está lá? Não ouço nada.

hello? (answering the phone)

Questions & Answers about Está lá? Não ouço nada.

Why does Está lá? translate to 'Hello?'?

Literally, Está lá? translates to 'Are you there?' or 'Is it there?'. In Portugal, this is the standard idiomatic way to answer the phone, just like saying 'Hello?' in English.

Can I use Está lá? to say 'Hello' to someone I meet on the street?

No, this phrase is used almost exclusively for phone calls or speaking through intercoms. If you are greeting someone in person, you should use regular greetings like Olá, Bom dia (Good morning), or Boa tarde (Good afternoon).

Which verb does ouço come from?

It comes from the verb ouvir (to hear). It is highly irregular in the 'I' form of the present tense. Instead of following the normal rules for verbs ending in '-ir', the 'I' form becomes ouço (I hear).

Why is it Não ouço nada instead of just Ouço nada? Doesn't that mean 'I don't hear nothing'?

In Portuguese, double negatives are grammatically correct and required! When a negative word like nada (nothing/anything) comes after the verb, you must put não before the verb. So, Não ouço nada is the only correct way to say 'I cannot hear anything'.