Portuguese Phrase
Esfria a queimadura com água fria da torneira.
Meaning
The sentence is a practical first‑aid instruction: cool the burn by running cold tap water over it. It emphasizes immediate action to reduce pain and tissue damage.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving advice after someone has been burned, whether in a kitchen, at work, or during an outdoor activity. It’s common in health‑related conversations, emergency tips, or casual advice among friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Esfriaaqueimaduracomáguafriadatorneira
Imperative (tu) – Esfria
‘Esfria’ is the affirmative imperative form for ‘tu’ of the verb ‘esfriar’ (to cool). It gives a direct command.
Definite article – a
The article ‘a’ agrees in gender and number with the feminine noun ‘queimadura’.
Preposition – com
‘Com’ means ‘with’ and introduces the instrument or means used to perform the action.
Adjective position – água fria
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives often follow the noun, so ‘água fria’ (cold water) is the natural order.
Contraction – da
‘Da’ is the contraction of ‘de + a’, linking ‘água fria’ to the source ‘torneira’ (tap).
🗨In Conversation
Acabei de me queimar ao tirar o pão do forno.
I just burned myself taking the bread out of the oven.
Esfria a queimadura com água fria da torneira.
Cool the burn with cold tap water.
✕Common Mistakes
Esfrie a queimadura com água fria da torneira.
‘Esfrie’ is the formal imperative (você) and sounds overly formal in everyday conversation; ‘Esfria’ (tu) is the natural choice in most regions.
Esfria a queimadura com água gelada da torneira.
‘Água gelada’ (ice‑cold water) is too harsh for a burn; the correct term is ‘água fria’.
Esfria a queimadura com água fria torneira.
Dropping the article (‘da’) makes the phrase sound incomplete; you need ‘da torneira’ to indicate the water source.
↔Alternatives
Resfrie a queimadura com água fria da torneira.
Cool the burn with cold tap water.
Lave a queimadura com água fria da torneira.
Wash the burn with cold tap water.
Aplique água fria da torneira na queimadura.
Apply cold tap water to the burn.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the first‑aid recommendation is to run cool (not ice‑cold) tap water over a burn for at least 10‑20 minutes. Using ice or very cold water can cause further tissue damage. The phrase ‘da torneira’ (from the tap) is the usual way to specify the water source, and it’s understood nationwide.