Unit 19 · Problems and emergenciesA2Lesson 2 of 5: Theft and the police
Theft and the police in European Portuguese
This is lesson 2 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. The new words are a polícia (police), a esquadra (police station), chamar (to call) and 5 more, practised in 10 example sentences. Building on Lost things, it gets you to sentences like A polícia já chegou (“The police have arrived”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Chame uma ambulância!: commands in an emergency” and “Acabar de: I have just…”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
a polícia | policeA polícia (the police) is singular: A polícia chegou. A police officer is o polícia or a polícia. |
a esquadra | police stationThe police station in a town. In the countryside, the police is the GNR, and its station is o posto. |
chamar | to callTo get someone to come: chamar a polícia, chamar um táxi. To phone someone is ligar. |
roubar | to stealYou steal something a someone: Roubaram a mala à minha mãe. |
roubaram-me | someone stole myLiterally "they stole (from) me": Roubaram-me a carteira. = Someone stole my wallet. |
fazer queixa | to reportTo the police: fazer queixa à polícia. More formal: apresentar queixa. |
o ladrãoalso a ladra | thiefPlural: os ladrões. |
o carteiristaalso a carteirista | pickpocketFrom a carteira (wallet). Watch your bag on busy trams and in crowds. |
Example sentences
- Roubaram-me a carteira.Someone stole my wallet.No subject: the "they" form means "someone". The pronoun me goes after the verb.
- Roubaram-me o telemóvel no metro.My phone was stolen on the metro.
- Chame a polícia!Call the police!To a stranger, with extra respect: Chame. To a friend: Chama. To several people: Chamem.
- Onde fica a esquadra mais próxima?Where is the nearest police station?Mais próximo / mais próxima = nearest.
- Eu queria fazer queixa de um roubo.I'd like to report a theft.O roubo = theft, robbery. Fazer queixa de = to report.
- Há muitos carteiristas no elétrico.There are a lot of pickpockets on the tram.
- O ladrão roubou a mala à minha mãe.The thief stole my mother's bag.A mala is also a handbag. You steal something a someone: à minha mãe.
- Eu chamei a polícia.I called the police.Chamei = I called (to come). Liguei = I phoned.
- A polícia já chegou.The police have arrived.A polícia is singular in Portuguese: chegou. Já + past = has/have (already).
- O que é que lhe roubaram?Police officer: What was stolen from you?A police officer usually speaks with extra respect: lhe. To a friend: O que é que te roubaram? After a question word, the pronoun goes before the verb.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 19: Problems and emergencies: