Portuguese Phrase
Por favor, não limpe meu quarto hoje.
Meaning
A polite request asking someone not to clean your room today. It can be used when you need privacy, are in the middle of a project, or simply want to keep the room as it is for the day.
When to use
Use this phrase with housekeepers, roommates, family members, or anyone who might clean your space. It’s especially handy in shared apartments, hotels, or when you’re staying with friends and need a day off from tidying up.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Por favornãolimpemeuquartohoje
Por favor
A polite expression equivalent to 'please', placed at the beginning of a request.
Negation with não
The word 'não' precedes the verb to make a negative command.
Negative imperative (subjunctive)
In Portuguese, negative commands use the present subjunctive form of the verb (limpar → limpe).
Possessive adjective
'Meu' agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (quarto).
Temporal adverb
'Hoje' means 'today' and is placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis.
🗨In Conversation
Vou limpar seu quarto hoje.
I’ll clean your room today.
Por favor, não limpe meu quarto hoje.
Please, don’t clean my room today.
✕Common Mistakes
Por favor, não limpar meu quarto hoje.
The infinitive 'limpar' cannot be used after 'não' for a command; you need the subjunctive form 'limpe'.
Por favor, não limpa meu quarto hoje.
The indicative form 'limpa' is used for statements, not for negative commands.
Por favor, não limpo meu quarto hoje.
‘Limpo’ is first‑person singular; the request is directed at another person, so use 'limpe'.
↔Alternatives
Por favor, não arrume meu quarto hoje.
Please, don’t tidy up my room today.
Por gentileza, deixe meu quarto como está hoje.
Kindly leave my room as it is today.
Não limpe meu quarto hoje, por favor.
Don’t clean my room today, please.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, using 'por favor' at the start of a request is considered very courteous. Negative commands always use the subjunctive (limpe) rather than the infinitive (limpar) or the indicative (limpa). Also, keep in mind that tone and body language matter – a friendly smile reinforces the politeness of the phrase.