Portuguese · Metro
The gate will not let you through: call a member of staff: what to say in Portuguese
The turnstile won't let you through, although you have a ticket. You need to call a member of staff.
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How it's done. There's often a help button (ajuda) by the turnstiles - you can talk to a member of staff through it.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
YOU START
Desculpe, o torniquete não abre.
Dish-KOOLP, oo toor-nee-KET now ahbr.
Excuse me, the turnstile won't open.
THEY SAY
Deixe ver o cartão.Daysh vehr oo kuhr-TOW.
Let me see the card.
They might also say:
Mostre-me o cartão.
MOSH-trih-m oo kuhr-TOW.
Show me the card.
2
YOU REPLY
Aqui está.
Uh-KEE shtah.
Here it is.
THEY SAY
O passe não está carregado.Oo pahs now shtah kuh-rih-GAH-doo.
The pass isn't topped up.
3
YOU REPLY
Mas carreguei ontem!
Mahsh kuh-rih-GAY OHN-tayn!
But I topped it up yesterday!
THEY SAY
Passe por aqui, eu abro.Pahs poor uh-KEE, eh-oo AH-broo.
Come through here, I'll open it.
4
YOU FINISH
Obrigado!
Oh-bree-GAH-doo!
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.
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
torniquete
toor-nee-KET
noun
turnstile
não
now
adverb
no
abre
ahbr
verb
opens
Deixe
Daysh
verb
let
ver
vehr
verb
to have a look, to see
13 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 mostrar-me?
Pod moosh-TRAHRM?
Can you show me?
Similar situations
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