Portuguese Phrase
Anota quando os sintomas começaram.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct instruction to write down the exact moment when the symptoms first appeared. It is commonly used in medical interviews or when someone is keeping a health diary.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are asking a patient, a friend, or yourself to record the onset time of any health symptom, especially during a clinical assessment or when tracking a condition over time.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Anotaquandoossintomascomeçaram.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Anota’ is the informal imperative form of the verb ‘anotar’, used to give a direct command to ‘you’ (tu).
Temporal conjunction ‘quando’
‘Quando’ introduces a time clause; the verb in that clause is in the past tense because it refers to a completed action.
Definite article ‘os’
‘Os’ is the plural masculine definite article, matching the noun ‘sintomas’.
Verb ‘começaram’ (pretérito perfeito)
‘Começaram’ is the third‑person plural preterite of ‘começar’, indicating that the symptoms started at a specific moment in the past.
🗨In Conversation
Anota quando os sintomas começaram.
Write down when the symptoms started.
Claro, foi ontem à noite por volta das oito.
Sure, it was last night around eight.
✕Common Mistakes
Anota quando o sintoma começou.
‘Sintoma’ is singular; the sentence refers to multiple symptoms, so use the plural ‘sintomas’.
Anota quando os sintomas começou.
The verb must agree with the plural noun ‘sintomas’; use ‘começaram’.
Anote quando os sintomas começaram.
While not grammatically wrong, ‘Anote’ is formal; using ‘Anota’ in an informal context sounds more natural.
↔Alternatives
Registre quando os sintomas começaram.
Record when the symptoms started.
Anote quando os sintomas começaram.
Note when the symptoms started.
Apontar quando os sintomas começaram.
Mark when the symptoms started.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the informal imperative ‘Anota’ is common among friends and colleagues, but in a professional medical setting doctors usually prefer the more formal ‘Registre’ or ‘Anote’. Also, Brazilians often ask for the exact hour, not just the day, when tracking health issues.