Portuguese Phrase
Procura um lugar seguro em casa.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct instruction telling someone to find a safe spot inside their home, often used in emergency or safety contexts. It emphasizes the importance of locating a protected area before a potential danger arrives.
When to use
Use this phrase when advising a friend, family member, or a group about emergency preparedness, during drills, or when a sudden threat (like a storm, fire, or intruder) is imminent.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Procuraumlugarseguroemcasa
Imperative (tu) – procura
‘Procura’ is the affirmative imperative form for ‘tu’ (you informal) of the verb ‘procurar’ meaning ‘to look for / to find’.
Indefinite article – um
‘Um’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, used here because ‘lugar’ is masculine.
Adjective agreement – seguro
‘Seguro’ agrees in gender and number with ‘lugar’, so it stays masculine singular.
Prepositional phrase – em casa
‘Em casa’ means ‘at home’; ‘casa’ is a feminine noun but the preposition does not affect its gender.
🗨In Conversation
A tempestade está a chegar. Procura um lugar seguro em casa.
The storm is coming. Find a safe place at home.
Já! Vou para o porão, onde há uma mesa resistente.
Got it! I’m going to the basement, where there’s a sturdy table.
✕Common Mistakes
Procure um lugar seguro em casa.
‘Procure’ is the formal imperative for ‘você’; using it with ‘um lugar seguro em casa’ is still correct, but the original sentence uses the informal ‘tu’ form.
Procura um lugar segura em casa.
‘Segura’ is the feminine form; it must agree with ‘lugar’, which is masculine, so ‘seguro’ is required.
Procura um lugar seguro casa.
Dropping the preposition ‘em’ changes the meaning; ‘casa’ alone would be interpreted as ‘home’ as a noun, not as a location.
↔Alternatives
Encontre um local seguro dentro de casa.
Find a safe spot inside the house.
Busque um cantinho protegido em sua casa.
Look for a protected corner in your home.
Escolha um ponto seguro na sua residência.
Choose a safe point in your residence.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, emergency drills (especially for earthquakes in the South and floods in the North) often start with the command ‘Procure um lugar seguro!’ It’s common to teach children to go to a sturdy piece of furniture or a designated safe room. Using the informal ‘tu’ form (procura) is typical in the South and Portugal; in most of Brazil you might hear the formal ‘procure’ (você) instead.