Portuguese Phrase
Nunca abra a porta para estranhos.
Meaning
A firm piece of safety advice telling someone not to open the door for people they don’t know. The use of ‘nunca’ adds a sense of urgency and total prohibition.
When to use
Use this sentence when giving safety instructions, teaching children about home security, or warning a guest about unknown visitors. It works well in both formal safety briefings and casual conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nuncaabraaportaparaestranhos
Nunca (adverb of frequency)
Used to express 'never', it negates the verb that follows and is placed before it.
Abra (imperative of abrir)
Second‑person singular imperative (formal ‘você’). It gives a direct command or strong advice.
a porta (definite article + noun)
‘A’ is the feminine singular definite article that agrees with ‘porta’.
para (preposition)
Introduces the beneficiary or target of the action, equivalent to ‘to/for’ in English.
estranhos (plural noun)
Means ‘strangers’; the plural form is used because the advice applies to any unknown person.
🗨In Conversation
Nunca abra a porta para estranhos.
Never open the door to strangers.
Mas e se for um entregador?
But what if it’s a delivery person?
✕Common Mistakes
Nunca abra a porta a estranhos.
The correct preposition is ‘para’, not ‘a’, when indicating the target of opening the door.
Nunca abre a porta para estranhos.
‘Abre’ is third‑person singular present; the sentence needs the imperative ‘abra’.
Não abra a porta para estranhos.
‘Não’ alone weakens the warning; ‘nunca’ conveys the stronger ‘never’ meaning.
↔Alternatives
Não abra a porta para desconhecidos.
Don’t open the door for unknown people.
Jamais abra a porta a quem não conhece.
Never open the door to someone you don’t know.
Evite abrir a porta para pessoas estranhas.
Avoid opening the door to strange people.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, safety advice about ‘estranhos’ is common in schools and public campaigns. ‘Estranho’ can sound a bit harsh; many people prefer ‘desconhecido’ (unknown) in polite contexts. The imperative ‘abra’ is direct, so use it with people you have a teaching or advisory relationship with, not with close friends who might find it too commanding.