Getting through AIMA: Asking about the status of your application

🇵🇹 This is a warm, polite "of course". It's ideal for agreeing to an official's request without sounding curt.

💬 tem with no "you" in front is the polite way to address a stranger. It's the same form as "he/she has".

💬 do is de + o merged into one word. Likewise de + a becomes da, as in da AIMA.

💬 processo here means your case file, not a "process". Have this number written down, because it's the first thing staff ask for.

💬 The final m isn't pronounced as an m. It just makes the vowel nasal: (seeng), with the g barely there.

💬 neste is em + este merged into one word. Likewise nesta "in this" (feminine) and no "in the".

💬 o seu is the polite "your" used with strangers and officials. Friends say o teu.

💬 está em plus a noun describes where something stands, as in está em análise or está em espera "it's on hold".

🇵🇹 This is the answer you'll most likely hear at AIMA, where backlogs are long. Ask politely about timing rather than pushing for more.

💬 demorar means "to take (time)". demora muito? "does it take long?" works anywhere, from offices to cafés.

💬 Put mais before the number to say "more", as in mais uma semana "one more week".

💬 estado also means "state" or "government". Here context makes it "status", as in o estado do pedido "the status of the application".

💬 vai plus an action is the everyday way to talk about the future, as in vai ligar "will call".

💬 In everyday speech Está shrinks to Tá, so you'll often hear Tá bem (tah BAYNG). The em in bem is nasal, not a clear English m.

💬 Men say obrigado and women say obrigada, whoever they're thanking. pela is por + a merged into one word.