Portuguese Phrase
Estamos ficando sem toalhas.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘We are running out of towels.’ It conveys that the speaker’s group currently has very few towels left, often said in a hotel, hostel, or at home when the supply is getting low.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice a shortage of towels and want to inform staff or a roommate, or when you need to request more towels in a hospitality setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estamosficandosemtoalhas
Estar + gerúndio
Use ‘estar’ followed by a gerund (‑ndo) to describe an action that is happening right now.
Ficar + gerúndio
‘Ficar’ + gerund expresses a change of state, often translated as ‘to be getting …’ or ‘to be running out of …’.
Preposition ‘sem’
‘Sem’ means ‘without’ and is used directly before a noun without an article.
Plural noun agreement
‘Toalhas’ is plural; adjectives or articles would need to agree in number if used.
🗨In Conversation
Estamos ficando sem toalhas.
We are running out of towels.
Vou chamar a limpeza para trazer mais.
I’ll call housekeeping to bring more.
✕Common Mistakes
Estamos ficar sem toalhas.
You need the gerund ‘ficando’; ‘estamos ficar’ is ungrammatical.
Estamos ficando sem as toalhas.
‘Sem’ never takes an article; say ‘sem toalhas’, not ‘sem as toalhas’.
Estamos ficando sem toalha.
If you’re talking about multiple towels, use the plural ‘toalhas’.
↔Alternatives
Estamos sem toalhas.
We have no towels.
Já não temos mais toalhas.
We don’t have any towels left.
Faltam toalhas.
Towels are missing.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, hotels and hostels usually provide a set number of towels per guest. It’s polite to ask for more by saying ‘Estamos ficando sem toalhas’ rather than demanding. The word ‘sem’ never takes an article, so you say ‘sem toalhas’, not ‘sem as toalhas’. In more formal settings you might add ‘por favor’ to soften the request.