Portuguese Phrase
A ligação caiu?
Meaning
Literally, 'Did the call drop?' It is used to ask whether a phone or video call was unexpectedly disconnected, usually after hearing a sudden silence or a glitch.
When to use
Use this phrase during a phone or video conversation when the audio stops, when you suspect the connection was lost, or right after you hear a click that might indicate a dropped call.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Aligaçãocaiu?
Definite article (A)
Use 'a' for feminine singular nouns like 'ligação'. It agrees in gender and number.
Noun gender (ligação)
'Ligação' is a feminine noun meaning 'call' or 'connection', so it takes the article 'a'.
Verb tense (caiu)
'Caiu' is the third‑person singular preterite of 'cair' (to fall/drop), indicating a completed action in the past.
Question formation
Portuguese often forms yes/no questions by intonation alone; the word order stays the same as a statement.
🗨In Conversation
A ligação caiu?
Did the call drop?
Sim, parece que a rede está instável.
Yes, it seems the network is unstable.
✕Common Mistakes
O ligação caiu?
‘Ligação’ is feminine, so the article must be ‘a’, not ‘o’.
A ligação caíu?
The verb ‘cair’ in the preterite is ‘caiu’, without an accent.
Ligação caiu?
Dropping the article makes the sentence sound incomplete; keep ‘A’ for a natural phrasing.
↔Alternatives
A chamada caiu?
Did the call drop?
A conexão caiu?
Did the connection drop?
Perdeu a ligação?
Did you lose the call?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil people often say 'caiu a ligação?' or simply 'caiu?' when the context is clear. In Portugal the phrasing is the same, but you’ll also hear 'a chamada caiu?'. The tone rises at the end of the sentence to signal a question, even without a question mark in spoken language.