Portuguese · Contas

The water has been cut off: find out why: what to say in Portuguese

The water suddenly goes off, and you want to find out why.

Contas5 linesLevel A1For life in Portugal The rest of the dialogue is in the app

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How it's done. Planned water cuts for works (obras) are usually announced on a notice in the entrance or on the water company's website.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.

YOU START

Desculpe, também está sem água?

Dish-KOOLP, tuhm-BAYN shtah sayn AH-gwuh?

Excuse me, do you have no water either?

THEY SAY

Há obras na rua. Volta à tarde.

Uh OH-bruhzh nuh ROO-uh. VOL-tuh uh tahrd.

There are works in the street. It'll be back in the afternoon.

in the app

YOU REPLY

Não sabia. Havia algum aviso?

Now suh-BEE-uh. Uh-VEE-uh uhl-GOON uh-VEE-zoo?

I didn't know. Was there a notice?

THEY SAY

Estava um aviso na entrada do prédio.

SHTAH-vuh oon uh-VEE-zoo nuh ayn-TRAH-duh doo PREH-dyoo.

There was a notice at the entrance to the building.

They might also say:

Há um aviso na entrada do prédio.

Uh oon uh-VEE-zoo nuh ayn-TRAH-duh doo PREH-dyoo.

There is a notice at the entrance of the building.

in the app

YOU FINISH

Ah, não vi. Obrigado.

Uh, now vee. Oh-bree-GAH-doo.

Ah, I didn't see it. Thank you.

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.

Open in the App Store

On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.

Words worth knowing

Desculpe

Dish-KOOLP

verb

sorry, excuse me

também

tuhm-BAYN

adverb

also, too

está

shtah

verb

is, is located (now)

água

AH-gwuh

noun

water

Há

verb

there is, there are

obras

OH-bruhzh

noun

repairs, building works

19 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?

All 21 rescue phrases in Portuguese →

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