Portuguese Phrase
Posso enviar este líquido?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for permission to ship or forward a liquid, usually in a context where regulations or logistics matter. It can refer to sending a bottle of perfume, a sample of a chemical, or any other fluid that might be subject to restrictions. The tone can be polite or formal depending on the situation.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to confirm whether a liquid can be mailed, handed over at a post office, or included in a package. It’s common in business settings (shipping samples), travel (checking airline rules), or everyday life (asking a friend if you can send a bottle of sauce).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Possoenviarestelíquido?
Posso (poder)
‘Posso’ is the first‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘poder’, used to ask permission or ability.
Infinitive after poder
When ‘poder’ is followed by another verb, that verb stays in the infinitive (e.g., ‘enviar’).
Este (demonstrative)
‘Este’ is a masculine singular demonstrative adjective that must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Líquido (gender)
‘Líquido’ is a masculine noun; its article and demonstrative must be masculine (este, o).
Question mark
In Portuguese, the interrogative sentence ends with a question mark, but the intonation rises at the end.
🗨In Conversation
Posso enviar este líquido?
Can I send this liquid?
Depende do tipo de líquido; alguns são proibidos por lei.
It depends on the type of liquid; some are prohibited by law.
✕Common Mistakes
Posso poder enviar este líquido?
‘Poder’ is already expressed by ‘posso’; adding it again is redundant.
Posso enviar essa líquido?
‘Líquido’ is masculine, so the demonstrative must be ‘este’, not ‘essa’.
Posso enviá este líquido?
After ‘posso’, the following verb stays in the infinitive (enviar), not conjugated.
↔Alternatives
Posso mandar este líquido?
Can I mail this liquid?
É permitido enviar este líquido?
Is it allowed to send this liquid?
Posso despachar este líquido?
Can I dispatch this liquid?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, postal services and airlines have strict rules about liquids, especially those over 100 ml or hazardous chemicals. When asking this question, it’s polite to specify the type of liquid and its volume. In formal contexts, you might add ‘por favor’ or address the staff with ‘senhor/senhora’. Informal chats often drop the polite particles, but the verb ‘poder’ still stays in the first person if you’re speaking about yourself.