Portuguese Phrase
Liga para a linha não urgente da polícia local.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to call the non‑emergency telephone line of the local police. It is used when the situation does not require an immediate police response, such as reporting a past incident or asking for information.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to contact the police for matters that are not urgent—e.g., filing a report, requesting a copy of a police record, or asking for advice on a non‑time‑critical issue.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ligaparaalinhanãourgentedapolícialocal
Imperative Mood
‘Liga’ is the affirmative imperative of the verb ‘ligar’ (to call), used for giving a direct command.
Preposition ‘para’
‘para’ introduces the destination of the action, similar to ‘to’ in English.
Definite Article Contraction
‘da’ = de + a, meaning ‘of the’ or ‘from the’, linking the noun ‘polícia’ with its qualifier.
Adjective Placement
In Portuguese, adjectives usually follow the noun, but ‘não urgente’ (non‑urgent) precedes ‘linha’ to emphasize the type of line.
🗨In Conversation
Preciso de ajuda, mas não é uma situação de emergência.
I need help, but it’s not an emergency.
Liga para a linha não urgente da polícia local.
Call the non‑urgent line of the local police.
✕Common Mistakes
Liga para a linha urgente da polícia local.
Using ‘urgente’ instead of ‘não urgente’ changes the meaning to an emergency call.
Ligar para a linha não urgente da polícia local.
In the imperative you must use ‘Liga’, not the infinitive ‘Ligar’.
Liga para a linha não urgente polícia local.
If you omit the article, the phrase sounds incomplete; you need ‘da’ (de + a).
↔Alternatives
Ligue para o número não urgente da polícia local.
Dial the non‑urgent number of the local police.
Contacte a linha de não urgência da polícia.
Contact the police’s non‑emergency line.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the emergency police number is 190, while the non‑emergency line is usually 197 (or 181 in some states). In Portugal, the emergency number is 112 and the non‑urgent police contact is 102. Always check the local number before you travel, and remember that non‑urgent lines are for situations that can wait a few minutes or hours for a response.