Portuguese · Baixa médica
Tell your manager you are ill: what to say in Portuguese
You're ill and you call your manager to say you can't come in.
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How it's done. Report your illness as early as possible, before the shift starts; you hand in the certificate or sick note afterwards.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
Estou? Bom dia.Shtoh? Bohn DEE-uh.
Hello? Good morning.
They might also say:
Diga, o que se passa?
DEE-guh, oo k s PAH-suh?
Go ahead, what's happened?
YOU REPLY
Bom dia. Estou doente, hoje não posso ir trabalhar.
Bohn DEE-uh. Shtoh doo-AYNT, ohzh now POH-soo eer truh-buh-LYAHR.
Good morning. I'm ill, I can't come to work today.
THEY SAY
Está bem. Avise quando souber mais.Shtah bayn. Uh-VEEZ KWAHN-doo soh-BEHR mighsh.
All right. Let me know when you know more.
2
YOU REPLY
Tenho febre. Vou ao médico.
TEH-nyoo febr. Voh ow MEH-dee-koo.
I have a temperature. I'm going to the doctor.
THEY SAY
As melhoras! Traga a baixa depois.Uhzh mih-LYOH-ruhsh! TRAH-guh uh BIGH-shuh dih-POYSH.
Get well soon! Bring the sick note later.
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
Estou
Shtoh
verb
I am
Bom
Bohn
adjective
good
dia
DEE-uh
noun
day
doente
doo-AYNT
adjective
ill, sick
hoje
ohzh
adverb
today
não
now
adverb
no
23 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?
Similar situations
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