Making business phone calls: Asking to speak with someone and leaving a message
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Key Phrases
Pode pedir-lhe para me ligar?
Could you ask her to call me?
Lamento, mas ela está numa reunião.
I'm sorry, but she's in a meeting.
Dou-lhe o recado assim que ela sair.
I'll give her the message as soon as she's out.
Skills You'll Learn
Asking to speak to someone on the phone and leaving a message
Pedir para falar com alguém ao telefone e deixar recado
Politely asking someone to repeat information not understood
Pedir educadamente para repetir informação não compreendida
Giving and understanding contact and identification details on the phone
Dar e perceber informações de contacto e identificação ao telefone
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're phoning a company in Portugal for work. You want to speak with a manager, but she's busy, so you leave a message for her to call you back.
Lusotrade, bom dia. Em que posso ajudar?
Lusotrade, good morning. How can I help you?
Bom dia. Queria falar com a Dra. Ana Costa, por favor.
Good morning. I'd like to speak with Ms. Ana Costa, please.
Lamento, mas ela está numa reunião. Quer deixar recado?
I'm sorry, but she's in a meeting. Would you like to leave a message?
Sim, por favor. Pode pedir-lhe para me ligar?
Yes, please. Could you ask her to call me?
Com certeza. Quem fala, por favor?
Certainly. Who's calling, please?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Em que posso ajudar?
ehm keh POH-soo uh-zhoo-DAR
How can I help you?
💬 Word for word this is "in what can I help?" Portuguese uses em que where English says "how" in this offer of help.
🇵🇹 This is the standard way a receptionist answers a business line, often right after the company name.
See breakdown →Queria falar com a Dra. Ana Costa
kuh-REE-uh fah-LAR kohng uh doh-TOH-rah AH-nah KOHSH-tah
I'd like to speak to Dr. Ana Costa
💬 Queria is literally "I wanted", but it's the polite way to say "I'd like" when asking for something. Swap the verb: Queria marcar uma reunião "I'd like to book a meeting".
See breakdown →Por favor
poor fah-VOR
Please
Queria falar com a Dra. Ana Costa, por favor.
kuh-REE-uh fah-LAR kohng uh doh-TOH-rah AH-nah KOHSH-tah poor fah-VOR
I'd like to speak with Ms. Ana Costa, please.
🇵🇹 In Portugal, Dra. (or Dr. for a man) is used for anyone with a university degree, not just medical doctors. Using it on the phone sounds respectful and normal.
See breakdown →Lamento
lah-MEN-too
I'm sorry
💬 Lamento is for breaking unwelcome news, like "I'm afraid". For your own small slip, use desculpe instead.
See breakdown →Ela está numa reunião
EH-lah shtah NOO-mah hee-oo-nee-OWN
She's in a meeting
💬 em + uma merges into numa. Likewise, em + um becomes num: num escritório "in an office".
See breakdown →Lamento, mas ela está numa reunião.
lah-MEN-too mas EH-lah shtah NOO-mah hee-oo-nee-OWN
I'm sorry, but she's in a meeting.
Quer deixar recado?
kehr day-SHAHR reh-KAH-doo
Would you like to leave a message?
💬 recado is a message passed on by someone else. A written text or email is a mensagem.
See breakdown →Pode pedir-lhe
POH-jee peh-DEER-lyeh
Can you ask her
💬 In Portugal, words like lhe "her/him" usually go after the verb with a hyphen. Same pattern: Pode dizer-lhe "Can you tell her".
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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