Portuguese Phrase
Não te envolvas com estranhos.
Meaning
The sentence is a warning that translates to 'Don't get involved with strangers.' It uses a negative imperative to give direct advice, emphasizing personal safety and caution.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to advise a friend, a child, or anyone you care about to avoid risky interactions with people they don't know, such as in a safety briefing, a casual conversation, or a parental warning.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Nãoteenvolvascomestranhos.
Negative Imperative (tu)
In Portuguese, the negative command for 'tu' uses the present subjunctive form of the verb, e.g., 'não te envolvas'.
Reflexive Pronoun Placement
The reflexive pronoun 'te' is placed before the verb in negative imperatives.
Preposition 'com'
'Com' introduces the object of the verb, here the plural noun 'estranhos'.
Plural Noun Agreement
'Estranhos' is a masculine plural noun; any adjectives would need to agree in gender and number.
🗨In Conversation
Não te envolvas com estranhos.
Don't get involved with strangers.
Entendi, vou ter mais cuidado.
Got it, I'll be more careful.
✕Common Mistakes
Não te envolva com estranhos.
For a negative command to 'tu', you must use the subjunctive form 'envolvas', not the indicative 'envolva'.
Não envolvas com estranhos.
The reflexive pronoun cannot be omitted in this construction; 'Não envolvas com estranhos' sounds incomplete.
Não te envolvas com estranho.
If you want to refer to a single stranger, use the singular 'estranho'.
↔Alternatives
Não te metas com desconhecidos.
Don't get mixed up with unknown people.
Evita envolver-te com pessoas que não conheces.
Avoid getting involved with people you don't know.
Fica longe de quem não conheces.
Stay away from those you don't know.
Cultural Tip
In Portuguese-speaking countries, the word 'estranho' can also mean 'odd' or 'weird' when used as an adjective. Here it functions as a noun meaning 'stranger'. When giving safety advice, it's common to use the informal 'tu' form in Portugal, while in Brazil the formal 'você' form ('Não se envolva com estranhos') is more typical.