Portuguese Phrase
Tá em nome de John Smith.
Meaning
The sentence states that a document, account, or any registered item belongs to or is recorded under the name of John Smith. It is a concise way to point out ownership or registration.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal conversations when you need to tell someone whose name appears on a contract, ticket, bank account, or any official record. It’s common in everyday speech, especially among friends or colleagues.
✦Grammar Breakdown
TáemnomedeJohnSmith.
Tá (está)
‘Tá’ is the informal contraction of ‘está’, the third‑person singular of the verb ‘estar’, used in casual speech.
em nome de
A fixed prepositional phrase meaning ‘in the name of’, used to indicate whose name something is registered under.
Proper names
Foreign proper names (e.g., John Smith) are kept unchanged; they are not inflected or preceded by articles.
🗨In Conversation
Quem é o responsável por esse contrato?
Who is responsible for this contract?
Tá em nome de John Smith.
It's in John Smith's name.
✕Common Mistakes
Tá no nome de John Smith.
‘no’ (em + o) changes the meaning to ‘in the name *of the*’, which is incorrect when referring to a specific person’s name.
Tá em nome do John Smith.
The article ‘do’ is unnecessary before a foreign proper name; it makes the phrase sound ungrammatical.
É em nome de John Smith.
Using ‘é’ (ser) instead of ‘está’ can be acceptable in some contexts, but with ‘em nome de’ the verb ‘estar’ (Tá/Está) is the natural choice to indicate current registration.
↔Alternatives
Está em nome de John Smith.
It is in the name of John Smith.
O registro está em nome de John Smith.
The registration is in John Smith's name.
É em nome de John Smith.
It is under John Smith's name.
Cultural Tip
‘Tá’ is very informal and typical of spoken Brazilian Portuguese. In written or formal contexts you should use ‘está’. Also, avoid adding an article before a foreign name (e.g., *o* John Smith) unless you are deliberately using a colloquial nickname.