Portuguese Phrase
Quais sintomas devo anotar?
Meaning
The speaker is asking which health symptoms they should write down, usually for a medical appointment, a health diary, or when monitoring a condition. It conveys a polite request for guidance on what details are important to record.
When to use
Use this question when you are meeting a doctor, nurse, or health professional and need to know which signs of illness to keep track of. It is also handy when filling out a symptom‑tracking app or a paper health journal.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quaissintomasdevoanotar?
Quais (interrogative adjective)
Used to ask about a plural noun; it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
sintomas (masculine plural noun)
Means ‘symptoms’; plural form ends in -s and takes the masculine article ‘os’ in statements.
devo (present of dever)
First‑person singular of the verb ‘dever’, expressing obligation or recommendation: ‘I must/should’.
anotar (infinitive verb)
Means ‘to write down, to note’; used after verbs of obligation like ‘dever’.
🗨In Conversation
Quais sintomas devo anotar?
Which symptoms should I note?
Anote febre, tosse, dor de cabeça, falta de ar e qualquer mudança no apetite.
Write down fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath, and any change in appetite.
✕Common Mistakes
Quais sintomas deveria anotar?
Learners sometimes replace ‘devo’ with ‘deveria’, which changes the meaning to a polite suggestion rather than a direct obligation.
Quais sintomas devo escrever?
Using ‘escrever’ is understandable but sounds less natural in a medical context; ‘anotar’ is the preferred verb.
Qual sintomas devo anotar?
‘Qual’ is singular; using it with the plural noun ‘sintomas’ is grammatically incorrect.
↔Alternatives
Que sintomas devo registrar?
Which symptoms should I record?
Quais sinais devo observar?
Which signs should I observe?
Que sintomas preciso anotar?
What symptoms do I need to write down?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, doctors often ask patients to keep a ‘diário de sintomas’ (symptom diary) to help track the evolution of a disease. Using the verb ‘anotar’ sounds natural and slightly informal; in a very formal medical report you might hear ‘registrar’ instead. Remember that ‘sintoma’ is masculine, so adjectives and articles must match (e.g., ‘os sintomas’).