Portuguese Phrase
Ele não tá disponível agora.
Meaning
The sentence means “He is not available right now.” It conveys that the person is temporarily unable to talk, meet, or respond, without implying a permanent condition.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone that a particular person cannot be reached at the moment—e.g., during a phone call, in a chat, or when arranging a meeting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elenãotádisponívelagora
Pronoun (Ele)
Third‑person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'.
Negation (não)
Placed before the verb to make the statement negative.
Colloquial verb (tá)
Shortened form of the verb estar (to be) used in informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
Adjective (disponível)
Means 'available' or 'free'; agrees in gender and number with the subject.
Adverb (agora)
Means 'now', indicating the time frame of the unavailability.
🗨In Conversation
Você pode falar com o João agora?
Can you talk to João right now?
Ele não tá disponível agora.
He is not available right now.
✕Common Mistakes
Ele não tem disponível agora.
"Não tem" is used for objects, not for people. Use "não está" or "não tá" with a person.
Ele tá não disponível agora.
When you want to say someone *is* available, you must use the affirmative: "Ele tá disponível agora." The negative form requires "não" before the verb.
Ele não está agora disponível.
Adverb placement matters; "agora" normally comes after the adjective or at the end of the sentence.
↔Alternatives
Ele não está disponível no momento.
He is not available at the moment.
Ele está ocupado agora.
He is busy now.
Ele não pode atender agora.
He can't answer right now.
Cultural Tip
The contraction "tá" is typical of informal, everyday speech in Brazil. It is perfectly natural in conversation, text messages, and social media, but you should replace it with the full form "está" in formal writing, business emails, or when speaking to someone you don't know well.