Portuguese Phrase
Esta cidade tem bom sinal?
Meaning
A traveler or resident is asking whether the city provides a reliable mobile or internet signal. The focus is on the quality of reception, not on the existence of a signal itself.
When to use
Use this question when you’re in a new place and need to know if you’ll be able to make calls, send messages, or use data. It’s common among tourists, digital nomads, and locals checking coverage before a trip.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estacidadetembomsinal?
Esta (demonstrative adjective)
Used to point out a specific noun that is close to the speaker; it agrees in gender and number with the noun.
cidade (noun, feminine)
Means “city”. In Portuguese nouns have gender; adjectives must match it.
tem (verb ter, 3rd person singular)
Present‑tense form of “to have”. No subject pronoun is needed because the verb already indicates the subject.
bom (adjective)
Means “good”. It must agree with the masculine noun “sinal”, so it stays in the masculine form.
sinal (noun, masculine)
Literally “signal”, commonly used for mobile or Wi‑Fi reception.
Question formation
Portuguese forms yes/no questions by intonation alone; the word order stays the same as in a statement.
🗨In Conversation
Esta cidade tem bom sinal?
Does this city have good signal?
Sim, a maioria das áreas tem cobertura 4G, mas no centro pode ficar um pouco fraca.
Yes, most areas have 4G coverage, but the downtown can be a bit weak.
✕Common Mistakes
Está cidade tem bom sinal?
"Está" is the verb "to be"; the correct demonstrative is "esta" without accent.
Esta cidade tem boa sinal?
The adjective must match the gender of "sinal" (masculine), so it should be "bom sinal".
Esta cidade há bom sinal?
In very formal writing you could add "há" (there is) before the noun, but in spoken Portuguese the simple "tem" is natural.
↔Alternatives
Esta cidade tem boa cobertura?
Does this city have good coverage?
A rede aqui funciona bem?
Does the network work well here?
Tem sinal decente nesta cidade?
Is the signal decent in this city?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil people often talk about "cobertura" (coverage) rather than "sinal" when discussing mobile networks. In the north and interior regions coverage can be spotty, so it’s polite to ask in a friendly tone and thank the person for the info. Also, remember that "esta" (this) is a demonstrative adjective, not the verb "está" (is).