Portuguese Phrase
Tem alguma alergia?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the listener suffers from any kind of allergy. It is a polite, neutral way to check for health restrictions, especially before offering food or medication.
When to use
Use it in a medical setting when a doctor or nurse checks a patient’s history, or in everyday life when you’re cooking for someone, planning a trip, or buying a gift that might involve food.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Temalgumaalergia?
Ter (3ª pessoa singular)
‘Tem’ is the third‑person singular present of the verb ‘ter’, used here as the impersonal form for ‘você’ (you).
Alguma (indefinite adjective)
‘Alguma’ agrees in gender with the noun ‘alergia’; it means ‘any’ or ‘some’.
Alergia (noun)
A common medical term meaning ‘allergy’; it is feminine, so the adjective must be ‘alguma’.
Question formation
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese the intonation alone can turn a statement into a question, but the written form adds a question mark.
🗨In Conversation
Tem alguma alergia?
Do you have any allergies?
Não, não tenho nenhuma.
No, I don’t have any.
✕Common Mistakes
Temos alguma alergia?
Do not use ‘Temos’ unless you are asking about yourself and others (we).
Tem algum alergia?
‘Algum’ is masculine; the noun ‘alergia’ is feminine, so it must be ‘alguma’.
Tem alguma alérgia?
Avoid the English‑influenced ‘alergia’ with a hard ‘g’; the correct Portuguese pronunciation is /aˈleʁʒiɐ/.
↔Alternatives
Você tem alguma alergia?
Do you have any allergies?
Existe alguma alergia que você tem?
Is there any allergy that you have?
É alérgico a algo?
Are you allergic to anything?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil it’s common to ask about allergies before serving food, especially at gatherings or restaurants. The word ‘alérgico’ (adjective) is often used in casual speech – e.g., ‘Você é alérgico a frutos do mar?’ – while ‘alergia’ is the noun used in medical contexts. Keep the tone friendly; a simple ‘Tem alguma alergia?’ is polite and non‑intrusive.