Portuguese Phrase
Posso te incomodar um momento?
Meaning
Literally, “Can I bother you for a moment?” It is a courteous way to ask if you may interrupt someone’s activity. The phrase conveys respect for the listener’s time while signaling that you only need a short amount of attention.
When to use
Use this expression when you need to get someone’s attention in a professional or informal setting—e.g., before asking a quick question, requesting clarification, or handing over a document. It works well in offices, classrooms, or even casual conversations with friends when you want to be extra polite.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Possoteincomodarummomento?
Poder (Posso)
‘Posso’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘poder’, used to ask permission politely.
Clitic pronoun ‘te’
‘te’ is the second‑person singular object pronoun placed before the infinitive ‘incomodar’ (proclitic position).
Infinitive after modal verb
When a modal verb (poder, querer, dever…) is followed by another verb, the second verb stays in the infinitive.
Indefinite article ‘um’
‘um’ introduces a non‑specific noun, here ‘momento’, meaning ‘a moment’.
Question intonation
Even without a question word, the rising intonation at the end signals a polite request.
🗨In Conversation
Posso te incomodar um momento?
May I bother you for a moment?
Claro, pode falar.
Sure, go ahead.
✕Common Mistakes
Pode te incomodar um momento?
‘Pode’ is third‑person singular; you need the first‑person ‘posso’ when you are the one asking.
Posso incomodar te um momento?
When the pronoun follows the verb, it must be attached with a hyphen (incomodá‑lo) or placed before the infinitive; ‘te incomodar’ is acceptable, but ‘incomodar te’ is wrong.
Posso te incomodar momento?
Dropping the article makes the phrase sound incomplete; you need ‘um’ to indicate a short period.
↔Alternatives
Posso atrapalhar um instante?
Can I disturb you for an instant?
Posso incomodá‑lo por um minuto?
May I bother you for a minute?
Você tem um minuto?
Do you have a minute?
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, using ‘posso’ + infinitive is the gold standard for polite requests. Avoid sounding demanding by not dropping the pronoun (‘te’) or by using the more direct ‘vou te incomodar…’, which can feel abrupt. In formal contexts, you might replace ‘te’ with ‘lhe’ (Posso lhe incomodar…); in northern Brazil, people sometimes say ‘Posso te atrapalhar um pouquinho?’ which adds a friendly, informal tone.