Portuguese Phrase
Me conta sobre um erro.
Meaning
The speaker is asking the listener to tell them about a mistake, usually to learn from it or to discuss what went wrong. It is informal and assumes a friendly relationship.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want a colleague, friend, or classmate to explain a specific error they made, for example after a project review, a language lesson, or a cooking mishap. It is not appropriate in very formal settings; there you would say “Conte‑me sobre um erro.”
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mecontasobreumerro
Pronome átono (Me)
‘Me’ is the unstressed direct/indirect object pronoun meaning ‘to me’ or ‘me’, placed before the verb in affirmative imperatives.
Imperativo afirmativo (conta)
‘Conta’ is the second‑person singular affirmative imperative of ‘contar’ (to tell, to recount).
Posição do pronome
In informal spoken Portuguese the pronoun can precede the verb (Me conta) or be attached after with a hyphen (Conta‑me). Both are correct, but the attached form is more common in Brazil.
Preposição ‘sobre’
‘Sobre’ means ‘about, concerning’. It introduces the topic of the request.
Artigo indefinido (um)
‘Um’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, used here with the noun ‘erro’ (mistake).
🗨In Conversation
Me conta sobre um erro que você cometeu na apresentação de ontem.
Tell me about a mistake you made in yesterday’s presentation.
Claro! Eu esqueci de citar a fonte dos dados, e o público percebeu.
Sure! I forgot to cite the source of the data, and the audience noticed.
✕Common Mistakes
Me conta sobre erro.
Missing the indefinite article ‘um’; Portuguese nouns usually need an article unless they are plural or generic.
Conta me sobre um erro.
When the pronoun follows the verb in the imperative, it must be attached with a hyphen: ‘Conta‑me’.
Me conta sobre um errô.
‘Erro’ does not take an accent; the correct spelling is ‘erro’.
Me conta sobre um erro?
In Portuguese a question is formed with intonation or a question mark, but the phrase is usually a request, not a question; use a period unless you truly mean to ask.
↔Alternatives
Conta‑me sobre um erro.
Tell me about a mistake.
Fala‑me de um erro.
Talk to me about a mistake.
Pode me contar um erro?
Could you tell me a mistake?
Explique‑me um erro que ocorreu.
Explain a mistake that occurred to me.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the clitic pronoun often precedes the verb in spoken imperatives (Me conta), while in Portugal the attached form (Conta‑me) is more common and sounds slightly more formal. If you need to be polite or are speaking to a superior, switch to the formal imperative ‘Conte‑me…’. Also, Portuguese speakers usually prefer the specific error rather than a vague “um erro”, so adding details (e.g., ‘sobre o erro de cálculo’) makes the request clearer.