Unit 19 · Problems and emergenciesA2Lesson 4 of 5: Making a complaint
Making a complaint in European Portuguese
This is lesson 4 of 5 in Unit 19, Problems and emergencies (Problemas e emergências), an A2 unit in which you report lost and stolen things, get help in an emergency, complain, and return or exchange things in a shop. You will meet 8 new words, such as a reclamação (complaint), o livro de reclamações (complaints book) and reclamar (to make a complaint), in 10 short sentences you can listen to. Building on Emergencies, it gets you to sentences like A conta está errada (“The bill is wrong”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Posso trocá-lo?: it and them” and “O livro de reclamações”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
a reclamação | complaintFazer uma reclamação = to make a complaint. |
o livro de reclamações | complaints bookEvery business in Portugal must have one and give it to you when you ask. |
reclamar | to make a complaintTo complain formally, or about a product or a service. |
queixar-se | to complainEu queixo-me, ela queixa-se. Queixar-se de = to complain about. |
o gerentealso a gerente | manager |
erradoalso errada | wrongCerto = right, correct. |
sujoalso suja | dirtyLimpo = clean. |
pedir desculpa | to apologisePeço desculpa. = I'm sorry, I apologise. A little more formal than desculpe. |
Example sentences
- Eu queria fazer uma reclamação.I'd like to make a complaint.Queria + infinitive is the polite way to ask for something.
- Eu queria o livro de reclamações, se faz favor.I'd like the complaints book, please.Businesses in Portugal must hand over o livro de reclamações when you ask for it.
- A Marta reclamou porque a sopa estava fria.Marta complained because the soup was cold.Estava describes how things were: a sopa estava fria. Frio / fria = cold.
- Este copo está sujo.This glass is dirty.
- A conta está errada.The bill is wrong.
- Eu queria falar com o gerente.I'd like to speak to the manager.
- Peço desculpa pela demora.Sorry for the wait.Peço desculpa = I apologise. A demora = the wait, the delay.
- Eu vou queixar-me ao gerente.I'm going to complain to the manager.The pronoun can go after the infinitive (vou queixar-me) or after vou (vou-me queixar).
- Isto não é o que eu pedi.This isn't what I ordered.Pedir = to order (in a restaurant), to ask for.
- O senhor tem razão, peço desculpa.Manager: You're right, I apologise.The manager speaks to a customer with extra respect: o senhor / a senhora.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 19: Problems and emergencies: