Portuguese Phrase
Referências de ex-proprietários.
Meaning
Literally 'references of former owners.' It refers to contact information or testimonials that a previous owner can provide about a property, vehicle, or any item that is being transferred to a new owner.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are asking a seller, landlord, or dealer for the names and contact details of people who owned the item before, or when you are offering those references to a prospective buyer or renter.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Referênciasdeex-proprietários.
Referências (noun, plural)
A plural noun meaning 'references' or 'recommendations'.
de (preposition)
Links the noun 'referências' to the source, equivalent to English 'from' or 'of'.
ex‑proprietários (compound noun)
The prefix ex‑ means 'former' and attaches directly to the noun without a space; the whole term means 'former owners'.
Punctuation
In Portuguese a period is placed after the phrase when it stands alone as a headline or bullet point.
🗨In Conversation
Você poderia me passar as referências de ex‑proprietários?
Could you give me the references of the former owners?
Claro, aqui estão os nomes e telefones dos últimos dois proprietários.
Sure, here are the names and phone numbers of the last two owners.
✕Common Mistakes
Referências de ex proprietários.
The prefix ex‑ must be hyphenated and attached directly to the noun.
Referência de ex‑proprietários.
When you need more than one contact, use the plural "referências".
Referências de os ex‑proprietários.
Do not separate the preposition and article; "de" already covers the meaning of "of".
↔Alternatives
Referências de antigos proprietários.
References from previous owners.
Contatos de ex‑proprietários.
Contacts of former owners.
Recomendações de quem já foi dono.
Recommendations from those who were previously owners.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, especially in rental agreements and used‑car transactions, it is common to ask for "referências de ex‑proprietários" to verify the condition of the item and the reliability of the seller. The prefix ex‑ is always hyphenated and never spaced, and the plural form "ex‑proprietários" is used when referring to more than one former owner.