Portuguese Phrase
Anota bem os teus sintomas.
Meaning
Literally, 'Write down your symptoms well.' It is a direct, informal instruction to someone to record their health complaints clearly and accurately.
When to use
Use this phrase when a doctor, nurse, or a caregiver asks a patient to keep a detailed symptom log, especially in informal settings or when speaking with a friend or family member about health.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Anotabemosteussintomas
Imperative (tu) of 'anotar'
The verb 'anotar' in the second‑person singular informal imperative drops the final -r, giving 'anota' (e.g., 'Anota!').
Adverb placement
Adverbs like 'bem' normally follow the verb in Portuguese imperatives: 'Anota bem…'.
Possessive adjective agreement
'Teus' agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine plural, matching 'sintomas'.
Definite article with possessive
In European Portuguese the article 'os' is kept before the possessive adjective ('os teus sintomas'), unlike Brazilian Portuguese where it is often omitted.
🗨In Conversation
Preciso de saber como tens estado nos últimos dias.
I need to know how you've been feeling over the past few days.
Anota bem os teus sintomas.
Write down your symptoms well.
✕Common Mistakes
Anote bem os teus sintomas.
‘Anote’ is the formal imperative (você); using it with ‘teus’ (informal) creates a register clash.
Anota bem seus sintomas.
‘Seus’ is the formal/neutral possessive; pairing it with the informal imperative ‘anota’ sounds inconsistent.
Anota bem teu sintomas.
The article ‘os’ is required before the plural noun when using the possessive adjective in European Portuguese.
↔Alternatives
Regista bem os teus sintomas.
Record your symptoms well.
Escreve bem os teus sintomas.
Write your symptoms clearly.
Anota cuidadosamente os teus sintomas.
Write down your symptoms carefully.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal the combination of article + possessive ('os teus') is standard in everyday speech, while in Brazil speakers often drop the article ('teus sintomas'). The imperative 'anota' is informal; for a more formal tone you would use 'anote' (third‑person singular) or 'anotem' for plural. Also, medical professionals usually ask patients to 'registar' symptoms in a notebook or app, so both verbs are interchangeable in this context.