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How to Say ‘He'll call you before he comes.’ in Portuguese

Ele liga-lhe antes de ir.

EH-lee LEE-gah-lyeh AHN-tsh deh eer

[EH-lee LEE-gah-lyeh AHN-tsh deh eer]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: Tradespeople in Portugal often give a time window rather than an exact hour, so a heads-up call before they set off is normal and expected.

Phrase Breakdown

Ele liga-lhe

EH-lee LEE-gah-lyeh

He'll call you

'Liga-lhe' means 'calls you/him/her'. The 'lh' sounds like the 'lli' in 'million': 'EL LEE-ga-lyuh'.

Example

Ele liga-lhe amanhã.

He'll call you tomorrow.

Words in this phrase

Ele

[EH-lee]

Refers to a male person or animal.

Example

Ele foi embora cedo.

He left early.

liga-lhe

[LEE-gah-lyeh]

calls you

Verb 'ligar' (to call) plus 'lhe' (to you/him/her, formal); in Portugal the pronoun follows the verb.

Example

O diretor liga-lhe amanhã.

The director will call you tomorrow.

antes de ir.

AHN-tsh deh eer

before going

Say it smoothly: 'ANTsh-deer'.

Example

Telefona antes de ir.

Call before going.

Words in this phrase

antes

[AHN-tsh]

before

Adverb/preposition of time meaning earlier than something.

Example

Chego antes das nove.

I arrive before nine.

[deh]

(no direct translation)

Preposition linking 'importar-se' to the following verb.

Example

Importa-se de esperar?

Do you mind waiting?

[eer]

To move or travel to a place.

Example

Eu quero ir à praia.

I want to go to the beach.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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