Portuguese Phrase
Estão em outra chamada agora.
Meaning
The sentence tells the listener that the people they are looking for are currently engaged in a different call. It conveys a temporary situation, not a permanent state.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to explain why someone cannot answer the phone or join a meeting right now, especially in a professional or casual setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estãoemoutrachamadaagora
Estar (3ª pessoa do plural)
Estão is the present indicative of estar for 'they', used for temporary states or locations.
Preposition em
Em introduces the place or situation where someone is; here it links the subject to the call.
Outra (adjective)
Outra means 'another' and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (chamada, feminine singular).
Chamada (noun)
Chamada can refer to a phone call, video call, or any scheduled conversation.
Agora (adverb)
Agora means 'now' and usually appears at the end of the sentence for emphasis.
🗨In Conversation
Você pode falar com o João?
Can you talk to João?
Desculpe, ele está em outra chamada agora.
Sorry, he's on another call now.
✕Common Mistakes
Está em outra chamada agora.
Use the plural form Estão because the subject is plural (they).
Estão em outra ligação agora.
While "ligação" is correct, swapping it without adjusting context can change the nuance; "ligação" is more phone‑specific.
Agora estão em outra chamada.
Placing "agora" before the verb can sound unnatural in this construction.
↔Alternatives
Eles estão em outra ligação agora.
They are on another phone call now.
Estão ocupados em outra chamada.
They are busy on another call.
Estão em outra conferência agora.
They are in another conference now.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, "chamada" is a versatile word that covers phone calls, video calls (e.g., Zoom, WhatsApp) and even conference calls. For strictly telephone conversations, many speakers prefer "ligação". In a business environment, saying "estão em outra conferência" signals a video‑meeting context.