Portuguese Phrase
Verifica se há feridos. Liga para o 911. Troca os contatos. Tira fotos.
Meaning
A concise set of emergency instructions: first, check whether anyone is injured; then call the emergency number 911; exchange contact information with witnesses or victims; finally, take photographs of the scene for documentation.
When to use
Use these commands right after witnessing an accident, a natural disaster, or any situation that may require emergency assistance and later reporting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
VerificaseháferidosLigaparao911TrocaoscontatosTirafotos
Imperative (2nd person singular)
Verifica, Liga, Troca, Tira are all commands formed from the verb stem + ‘-a’ (or ‘-e’) ending, used to give direct orders.
se (conjunction)
In ‘se há feridos’, ‘se’ introduces a yes‑no clause meaning ‘if’.
há (existence)
‘há’ is the third‑person singular of ‘haver’ used to indicate existence, equivalent to ‘there is/are’.
para + article + number
‘para o 911’ uses the preposition ‘para’ + definite article ‘o’ before a numeric emergency code.
object pronouns omitted
In imperatives the direct object can be omitted when it is understood from context (e.g., ‘Liga’ → ‘Call (the emergency number)’).
🗨In Conversation
Verifica se há feridos.
Check if there are any injured people.
Já liguei para o 911, troquei os contatos e tirei fotos.
I’ve already called 911, exchanged contacts and taken photos.
✕Common Mistakes
Verifica se tem feridos.
‘Tem’ is the informal verb ‘ter’; for existence we use ‘há’ in this context.
Ligue para o 911.
‘Ligue’ is the formal imperative; in casual spoken Portuguese the informal ‘Liga’ is more natural.
Troca os contato.
‘contato’ must be plural ‘contatos’ to match ‘os’. Also the verb stays in singular imperative.
Tira foto.
When referring to multiple pictures, use the plural ‘fotos’. If you mean a single picture, ‘foto’ is fine, but the original instruction calls for several shots.
↔Alternatives
Checa se alguém está machucado. Liga o 911. Troca números. Faz fotos.
Check if anyone is hurt. Call 911. Exchange numbers. Take photos.
Veja se há vítimas. Disque 911. Anote os contatos. Fotografe a cena.
See if there are victims. Dial 911. Write down the contacts. Photograph the scene.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the official emergency numbers are 190 (Police), 192 (SAMU – medical emergencies) and 193 (Firefighters). ‘911’ is widely recognized from movies and may be understood by tourists, but locals will usually call 190 or 192. When speaking Portuguese abroad, use the local emergency number, but the structure of the commands remains the same.