Portuguese Phrase
Não bloqueie o equipamento com seu celular.
Meaning
This sentence is a direct instruction telling someone not to obstruct or cover a piece of equipment using their mobile phone. It is often used in safety or technical contexts where a phone could interfere with the device’s operation.
When to use
Use this phrase on signs, in manuals, or when verbally reminding people in workplaces, gyms, labs, or public spaces that a phone should not be placed over or in front of equipment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãobloqueieoequipamentocomseucelular
Negação (Não)
‘Não’ precedes the verb to make a negative command; it works with the subjunctive form of the verb.
Imperative Negative (bloqueie)
In Portuguese, negative commands use the present subjunctive. ‘Bloqueie’ is the subjunctive form of ‘bloquear’ for ‘você’.
Definite Article (o)
‘O’ specifies a particular piece of equipment, making the request clear and specific.
Preposition (com)
‘Com’ links the means (your phone) to the action of blocking.
Possessive Adjective (seu)
‘Seu’ agrees in gender and number with ‘celular’; it indicates ownership.
🗨In Conversation
Posso deixar meu celular aqui, perto da máquina?
Can I leave my phone here, near the machine?
Não bloqueie o equipamento com seu celular.
Don’t block the equipment with your phone.
✕Common Mistakes
Não bloqueia o equipamento com seu celular.
‘Bloqueia’ is the present indicative (he/she blocks). For a negative command you need the subjunctive ‘bloqueie’.
Não bloqueie o equipamento com teu celular.
If you’re speaking informally to a friend, ‘teu celular’ would be more natural, but on signs the formal ‘seu’ is standard.
Bloqueie o equipamento com seu celular.
Missing the negation ‘Não’; without it the sentence becomes a positive command.
↔Alternatives
Não cubra o equipamento com seu celular.
Don’t cover the equipment with your phone.
Não obstrua o equipamento usando seu celular.
Don’t obstruct the equipment using your phone.
Não coloque o celular sobre o equipamento.
Don’t place the phone on the equipment.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, many electronic devices (e.g., scanners, ATMs, gym equipment) can be disrupted by a phone’s signal or simply by being physically covered. Using the formal ‘você’ form (bloqueie) in a negative command sounds polite yet firm, which is preferred on public signage.