Portuguese Phrase
Estou procurando novos contatos na internet.
Meaning
I am looking for new contacts on the internet. The sentence conveys an ongoing activity of searching for people to connect with online, whether for friendship, language exchange, or professional networking.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone that you are actively seeking new people to meet online – for example, when joining a language‑exchange group, creating a professional network, or simply expanding your circle of friends on social media.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estouprocurandonovoscontatosnainternet
Estar + Gerúndio
‘Estou’ is the first‑person singular of ‘estar’, used with a gerund to form the present progressive (ongoing action).
Gerúndio de ‘procurar’
‘Procurando’ is the gerund form of ‘procurar’, meaning ‘to look for’ or ‘to search for’.
Adjetivo concordante
‘Novos’ agrees in gender (masculine) and number (plural) with ‘contatos’.
Contração ‘na’
‘Na’ = ‘em’ + ‘a’, the preposition ‘in/on’ combined with the feminine article ‘a’.
Uso de ‘internet’
Although ‘internet’ can appear without an article, the phrase uses the definite article ‘a’ to stress a specific medium.
🗨In Conversation
Oi, você está procurando novos contatos na internet?
Hey, are you looking for new contacts on the internet?
Sim, quero conhecer gente nova para praticar idiomas.
Yes, I want to meet new people to practice languages.
✕Common Mistakes
Sou procurando novos contatos na internet.
‘Ser’ is used for permanent traits; use ‘estar’ for ongoing actions.
Estou procurando novo contato na internet.
The adjective ‘novos’ is plural, so the noun must also be plural.
Estou procurando novos contatos internet.
Dropping the article changes the nuance; the standard phrase includes ‘na’.
↔Alternatives
Estou buscando novos contatos online.
I’m searching for new contacts online.
Quero fazer novas amizades na internet.
I want to make new friends on the internet.
Estou tentando encontrar novas pessoas na rede.
I’m trying to find new people on the web.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, online networking is often done through WhatsApp groups, Facebook communities, and professional platforms like LinkedIn. When speaking with friends, a casual tone (e.g., ‘contatos’) is fine, but in a business context you might prefer ‘conexões profissionais’ or ‘networking’. Also, Brazilians love using emojis and informal greetings in digital conversations, which can make the interaction feel warmer.