Portuguese Phrase
Guarda os recibos e as faturas.
Meaning
‘Guarda os recibos e as faturas.’ means ‘Keep the receipts and the invoices.’ It is a practical reminder to store these documents for future reference, especially for accounting or tax purposes.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are advising someone – a colleague, a family member, or yourself – to retain financial documents. It is common in business settings, at home when managing household expenses, or when preparing tax declarations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Guardaosreciboseasfaturas.
Guarda (imperative)
‘Guarda’ is the affirmative imperative of the verb ‘guardar’ (to keep, to store) for the second‑person singular (tu).
os (definite article, masc. pl.)
‘os’ is the masculine plural definite article, used before masculine plural nouns like ‘recibos’.
recibos (noun, masc. pl.)
‘recibo’ means ‘receipt’; the plural ‘recibos’ refers to several receipts.
e (coordinating conjunction)
‘e’ simply means ‘and’, linking two noun phrases.
as (definite article, fem. pl.)
‘as’ is the feminine plural definite article, required before the feminine plural noun ‘faturas’.
faturas (noun, fem. pl.)
‘fatura’ is the word for ‘invoice’; the plural ‘faturas’ denotes several invoices.
🗨In Conversation
Guarda os recibos e as faturas, por favor.
Please keep the receipts and the invoices.
Claro, vou arquivá‑los no armário da contabilidade.
Sure, I’ll file them in the accounting cabinet.
✕Common Mistakes
Guarda os recibos e os faturas.
‘faturas’ is feminine, so the correct article is ‘as’, not ‘os’.
Guarda as recibos e as faturas.
‘recibos’ is masculine; the article must be ‘os’.
Guarde os recibos e as faturas.
‘Guarde’ is the formal imperative (você). It is not wrong, but it changes the register; use ‘Guarda’ for informal ‘tu’ and ‘Guarde’ for polite ‘você’.
↔Alternatives
Conserva os recibos e as faturas.
Preserve the receipts and the invoices.
Mantém os recibos e as faturas.
Maintain the receipts and the invoices.
Guarda os comprovantes e as notas fiscais.
Keep the vouchers and the tax invoices.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal, ‘recibo’ usually refers to a simple proof of payment, while ‘fatura’ is the formal invoice required for VAT (IVA) purposes. Keeping both is mandatory for businesses and highly recommended for individuals who want to claim tax deductions. Store them in a safe, organized folder or digitally scan them – the Portuguese tax authority (Autoridade Tributária) accepts electronic copies if they are legible.