Portuguese · Reboque
The operator asks where you are and what happened: what to say in Portuguese
The breakdown operator asks where you are and what has happened.
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How it's done. You describe a place on a motorway by the kilometre marker (no quilómetro 20) and direction (sentido Lisboa) - look at the sign.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Onde é que está exatamente?Ohnd eh k shtah ee-zuh-tuh-MAYNT?
Where exactly are you?
They might also say:
Em que autoestrada e em que sentido?
Ayn k ow-toosh-TRAH-duh ee ayn k sayn-TEE-doo?
On which motorway and in which direction?
YOU REPLY
Na A1, sentido Lisboa, quilómetro vinte.
Nuh uh-oon, sayn-TEE-doo leezh-BOH-uh, kee-LOH-mih-troo veent.
On the A1, heading for Lisbon, kilometre twenty.
THEY SAY
O que é que aconteceu ao carro?Oo k eh k uh-koon-tih-SEH-oo ow KAH-roo?
What happened to the car?
2
YOU REPLY
Furou um pneu.
Foo-ROH oon pneh-oo.
I have a puncture.
THEY SAY
O reboque chega dentro de quarenta minutos.Oo rih-BOK SHEH-guh DAYN-troo d kwuh-RAYN-tuh mee-NOO-toosh.
The tow truck will be with you in about forty minutes.
They might also say:
Envie-me a localização por mensagem.
Ayn-VEE-m uh loo-kuh-lee-zuh-SOW poor mayn-SAH-zhayn.
Send me your location by message.
3
YOU FINISH
Obrigado, até logo!
oh-bree-GAH-doo, uh-TEH LOH-goo!
Thank you, see you later!
Or say:Obrigado!
oh-bree-GAH-doo!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Onde
Ohnd
adverb
where
é
eh
verb
is
está
shtah
verb
is, is located (now)
exatamente
ee-zuh-tuh-MAYNT
adverb
exactly
sentido
sayn-TEE-doo
noun
direction
quilómetro
kee-LOH-mih-troo
noun
kilometre
21 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Pod fuh-LAHR mighzh dvuh-GAHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Pode repetir, por favor?
Pod rih-pih-TEER, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
Similar situations
The tow truck driver asks where to take the carReboque · A1 in the app
→The car broke down: call your insurance breakdown serviceReboque · A2 in the app
→A minor accident: fill in the joint accident statement (declaração amigável)Acidente · A2 in the app
→The other driver: swap insurance detailsAcidente · A2 in the app
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