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Portuguese Phrase

Tive um acidente de carro. E agora?

/ˈtʃi.vi ˈũ a.siˈdẽ.tʃi dʒi ˈka.ʁu i aˈɡo.ɾa/
Meaning"I had a car accident. What now?"
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Meaning

Literally, 'I had a car accident. And now?'. The speaker is reporting that they were involved in a car crash and is asking for advice or the next steps to take.

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When to use

Use this phrase right after a traffic collision, whether you’re speaking to a friend, a police officer, or a roadside assistance service, to signal that you need help or guidance.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Tiveumacidentedecarro.Eagora?

1

Tive (pretérito perfeito de ter)

Used to indicate a completed action in the past, here meaning 'I had' or 'I experienced'.

2

um (artigo indefinido)

Indefinite article meaning 'a' used before masculine singular nouns.

3

acidente de carro

A compound noun meaning 'car accident'; 'de' links the type of accident.

4

E (conjunção)

Means 'and', used here to connect the statement with a follow‑up question.

5

agora (advérbio de tempo)

Means 'now', forming the question 'What now?'.

🗨In Conversation

A

Tive um acidente de carro. E agora?

I had a car accident. What now?

Primeiro, verifique se está tudo bem, chame a polícia e troque informações com o outro motorista.

First, make sure everyone is okay, call the police and exchange information with the other driver.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Fui um acidente de carro.

    Use 'tive' (had) not 'fui' (went) to describe experiencing an accident.

  • Tive um acidente de automóvel.

    While correct, 'carro' is the everyday word; 'automóvel' sounds overly formal.

  • E agora

    Missing punctuation can make the sentence sound like a statement; keep the question mark.

↔Alternatives

  • Estive envolvido em um acidente de carro. O que devo fazer?

    I was involved in a car accident. What should I do?

  • Acabei de bater o carro. Como procedo?

    I just crashed my car. How do I proceed?

pt

Cultural Tip

In Brazil, the law requires you to stop at the scene, check for injuries, call the police (Polícia Militar) and fill out a 'boletim de ocorrência'. You also need to exchange documents (CNH, RG, and insurance) with the other driver. Knowing this phrase helps you ask for the right next steps in a stressful moment.