Portuguese Phrase
Tem alguma alergia que a gente deva saber?
Meaning
A polite way to ask someone if they have any allergies that the speaker (or a group) should be aware of, often used in medical, travel, or food‑service contexts.
When to use
Use this question when you are taking a health history, preparing a meal for guests, booking a trip that involves medical forms, or any situation where knowing about allergies is essential for safety.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Temalgumaalergiaqueagentedevasaber?
Ter (3ª pessoa singular)
‘Tem’ is the informal third‑person singular of ‘ter’, used here as a polite way to ask ‘does (someone) have…’.
Alguma (indefinite adjective)
‘Alguma’ agrees in gender and number with the noun ‘alergia’ and means ‘any’.
Que (relative pronoun)
Introduces a subordinate clause that qualifies ‘alergia’: ‘que a gente deva saber’.
A gente (colloquial ‘we’)
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese ‘a gente’ replaces ‘nós’; it takes third‑person singular verb forms.
Deva (present subjunctive of dever)
The subjunctive expresses a polite, non‑assertive request: ‘that we should know’.
Saber (infinitive)
Functions as the complement of ‘deva’, forming the infinitive clause ‘deva saber’.
🗨In Conversation
Tem alguma alergia que a gente deva saber?
Do you have any allergies we should know about?
Sim, sou alérgico a amendoim.
Yes, I'm allergic to peanuts.
✕Common Mistakes
Tem alguma alergia que a gente deve saber?
Using the indicative ‘deve’ sounds like a statement rather than a polite request; the subjunctive ‘deva’ is preferred.
Há alguma alergia que a gente deva saber?
‘Há’ means ‘there is/are’ and does not convey the personal ‘you have’ meaning of ‘tem’.
Tem alguma alergia que nós devamos saber?
While grammatically correct, ‘nós’ sounds overly formal in everyday Brazilian speech; ‘a gente’ is more natural.
↔Alternatives
Você tem alguma alergia?
Do you have any allergies?
Existe alguma alergia que devamos conhecer?
Is there any allergy we should be aware of?
Tem alguma alergia que devemos saber?
Do you have any allergies we need to know?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘a gente’ is the go‑to informal pronoun for ‘we’, even in professional settings, so the phrase sounds friendly rather than overly formal. The use of the subjunctive ‘deva’ adds a layer of politeness, making the question sound less demanding and more considerate of the listener’s privacy.