Portuguese Phrase
Manda um e‑mail ou liga.
Meaning
The sentence is a quick suggestion: ‘Send an email or call.’ It presents two possible ways to get in touch, without specifying which one is preferred.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to give someone a choice of contact methods, especially in informal settings like chatting with a coworker, a friend, or a client you already have a relaxed relationship with.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mandaume-mailouliga
Mandar (imperative)
‘Manda’ is the informal affirmative imperative of the verb ‘mandar’ (to send, to order). It is used with friends or colleagues.
um (indefinite article)
‘um’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, equivalent to ‘a’ or ‘an’ in English.
e‑mail (loanword)
‘e‑mail’ is a borrowed term; in Portuguese it is treated as a masculine noun, so it takes ‘um’.
ou (coordinating conjunction)
‘ou’ means ‘or’ and connects two alternative actions.
Ligar (imperative)
‘Liga’ is the informal affirmative imperative of ‘ligar’ (to call, to phone).
🗨In Conversation
Manda um e‑mail ou liga.
Send an email or call.
Ok, já faço isso agora.
Okay, I’ll do that right now.
✕Common Mistakes
Mande um e‑mail ou liga.
‘Mande’ is also correct, but mixing ‘mande’ (formal) with ‘liga’ (informal) creates a register clash.
Manda um email ou liga.
Some learners write ‘email’ without the hyphen; the standard Brazilian spelling uses a hyphen.
Manda um e‑mail e liga.
Using ‘e’ (and) instead of ‘ou’ changes the meaning to ‘and’ instead of offering a choice.
↔Alternatives
Envie um e‑mail ou telefone.
Send an email or phone.
Mande um e‑mail ou telefone.
Send an email or phone.
Manda um e‑mail ou faz uma ligação.
Send an email or make a call.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the informal imperative without ‘por favor’ is common among peers, but in more formal contexts you’d say ‘Por favor, envie um e‑mail ou ligue.’ The verb ‘ligar’ is used for phone calls, while ‘telefonar’ sounds a bit more formal. Also, ‘e‑mail’ is written with a hyphen in most Brazilian style guides, though you’ll see ‘email’ online.