Portuguese · Estafeta
The courier is back: "You were out yesterday": what to say in Portuguese
The courier comes a second time and says he missed you yesterday.
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How it's done. After a failed delivery a notice (aviso) is often left in your letterbox: it says where to collect the parcel.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
Passei cá ontem, mas não estava ninguém.Puh-SAY kah OHN-tayn, mahzh now SHTAH-vuh neen-GAYN.
I came by yesterday, but nobody was in.
They might also say:
Ontem ninguém abriu a porta.
OHN-tayn neen-GAYN uh-BREE-oo uh POR-tuh.
Yesterday nobody opened the door.
YOU REPLY
Desculpe, não estava em casa.
Dish-KOOLP, now SHTAH-vuh ayn KAH-zuh.
Sorry, I wasn't at home.
Or say:Pois, estava a trabalhar.
Poysh, SHTAH-vuh uh truh-buh-LYAHR.
THEY SAY
Não faz mal. Assine aqui, se faz favor.Now fahzh mahl. Uh-SEEN uh-KEE, s fahsh fuh-VOR.
That's all right. Sign here, please.
They might also say:
Sem problema. Aqui está a sua encomenda.
Sayn proo-BLEH-muh. Uh-KEE shtah uh SOO-uh ayn-koo-MAYN-duh.
No problem. Here's your parcel.
2
YOU FINISH
Muito obrigado!
MWEE-too oh-bree-GAH-doo!
Thank you very much!
Or say:Obrigado por voltar!
Oh-bree-GAH-doo poor vool-TAHR!
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
Passei
Puh-SAY
verb
(I) dropped by, drove past
cá
kah
adverb
here (to this place)
ontem
OHN-tayn
adverb
yesterday
não
now
adverb
no
estava
SHTAH-vuh
verb
was (then)
Desculpe
Dish-KOOLP
verb
sorry, excuse me
12 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Desculpe, não percebi.
Dish-KOOLP, now pir-sih-BEE.
Sorry, I didn't understand.
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Pod fuh-LAHR mighzh dvuh-GAHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Similar situations
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