Portuguese Phrase
E os pets se houver um desastre?
Meaning
Literally: ‘And the pets if there is a disaster?’ The speaker is asking what will happen to the animals in the event of an emergency, often as a follow‑up to a discussion about disaster plans.
When to use
Use this question when you are talking about emergency preparedness, evacuation plans, or any situation where you need to consider the safety of household animals.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Eospetssehouverumdesastre?
Conjunction E
The coordinating conjunction 'e' means 'and' and links ideas or clauses.
Definite article os
The plural masculine article 'os' agrees with the noun 'pets' (masculine plural).
Borrowed noun pets
‘Pets’ is an English loanword used in Brazilian Portuguese; it behaves like a masculine plural noun.
Conditional clause with se + subjunctive
After the conjunction 'se' (if), Portuguese uses the present subjunctive of 'haver' – 'houver' – to talk about a possible future event.
Indefinite article um
The singular masculine article 'um' introduces the noun 'desastre' (disaster).
Question mark
The whole sentence is a yes‑no question; intonation rises at the end.
🗨In Conversation
Já fizemos o plano de fuga para a família.
We’ve already made an evacuation plan for the family.
E os pets se houver um desastre?
And the pets if there’s a disaster?
✕Common Mistakes
E os pets se há um desastre?
‘Há’ is the present indicative of ‘haver’ and states a fact; the sentence needs the subjunctive ‘houver’ because it expresses a possible condition.
E animais se houver um desastre?
Using ‘animais’ without the article ‘os’ makes the phrase sound incomplete; the article is required for proper agreement.
E os pets se houverá um desastre?
‘Houverá’ is the future indicative, which is not used after ‘se’; the correct form is the present subjunctive ‘houver’.
↔Alternatives
E os animais de estimação, caso haja um desastre?
And the pets, should a disaster occur?
E os bichinhos, se acontecer um desastre?
And the little animals, if a disaster happens?
E os nossos pets, caso haja um desastre?
And our pets, in case there’s a disaster?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, many municipalities require pet owners to include animals in their emergency kits. It’s common to keep food, water, a leash, and a carrier ready. When speaking about pets in a disaster context, using ‘animais de estimação’ sounds a bit more formal, while ‘pets’ or ‘bichinhos’ feels casual and friendly.