Portuguese Phrase
Eles estão em uma reunião.
Meaning
They are in a meeting. The sentence tells you that a group of people (they) are currently attending a meeting, whether it’s a business session, a class, or a casual gathering.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to report the current whereabouts of a group, especially in professional or informal contexts where you’re talking about what people are doing right now.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Elesestãoemumareunião
Eles (pronoun)
Third‑person plural personal pronoun meaning 'they'.
estão (estar)
Present‑tense form of the verb estar, used for temporary states or locations.
em (preposition)
Means 'in' or 'at' and introduces the place where something is happening.
uma (indefinite article)
Feminine singular article used before a noun that is not previously identified.
reunião (noun)
Feminine noun meaning 'meeting' or 'gathering'.
🗨In Conversation
Onde estão eles?
Where are they?
Eles estão em uma reunião.
They are in a meeting.
✕Common Mistakes
Eles são em uma reunião.
Use 'estão' (estar) for temporary location; 'são' (ser) describes permanent characteristics.
Eles estão em um reunião.
Reunião is feminine, so the article must be 'uma', not 'um'.
Eles estão na reunião.
Using the definite article changes the meaning to a specific meeting that has already been identified.
↔Alternatives
Eles participam de uma reunião.
They are taking part in a meeting.
Eles estão numa reunião.
They are in a meeting.
Eles estão em reunião.
They are in a meeting.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, a 'reunião' can be a formal business meeting, a school class, or even a casual get‑together among friends. The indefinite article 'uma' signals that the speaker is not referring to a specific, previously mentioned meeting, just any meeting that’s happening now. If you want to refer to a particular meeting, use the definite article: 'Eles estão na reunião.'