Portuguese Phrase
Protege a tua casa antes da tempestade.
Meaning
‘Protect your house before the storm.’ It is a warning or piece of advice, urging the listener to take preventive action before bad weather arrives.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to remind a friend, neighbour, or family member to secure their home – for example, when a heavy rainstorm or hurricane is forecasted.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Protegeatuacasaantesdatempestade
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Protege’ is the informal imperative of the verb ‘proteger’, used when giving a direct command to someone you address with ‘tu’.
Possessive adjective ‘tua’
‘tua’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (casa – feminine singular). It is the informal form; the formal equivalent is ‘sua’.
Preposition ‘antes de’ → contraction ‘da’
‘antes de’ means ‘before’. When followed by the feminine article ‘a’, it contracts to ‘da’ (de + a).
Definite article with nouns
Both ‘casa’ and ‘tempestade’ are preceded by the definite article because the speaker refers to a specific house and a specific storm.
🗨In Conversation
Protege a tua casa antes da tempestade.
Protect your house before the storm.
Já fiz, obrigado!
I already did, thanks!
✕Common Mistakes
Proteja a tua casa antes da tempestade.
‘Proteja’ is the formal (você) imperative; use ‘Protege’ when speaking informally with ‘tu’.
Protege a sua casa antes da tempestade.
In Portugal ‘tua’ is the natural informal possessive; ‘sua’ sounds formal or Brazilian.
Protege a tua casa antes de a tempestade.
The preposition ‘de’ contracts with the article ‘a’ to ‘da’.
↔Alternatives
Cuida da tua casa antes da tempestade.
Take care of your house before the storm.
Protege a tua casa da tempestade.
Protect your house from the storm.
Prepara a tua casa antes da tempestade.
Prepare your house before the storm.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal the informal possessive ‘tua’ is common when speaking to friends or family. In Brazil you would more likely hear ‘sua’ (Protege sua casa…). Also, ‘tempestade’ can be used metaphorically to talk about a crisis or a difficult period, so the phrase can work both literally and figuratively.