Passando pela Segurança do Aeroporto
Going through airport security · a free Portuguese (Brazil) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Por favor, apresente o seu passaporte e o cartão de embarque.
Please present your passport and boarding pass.
Literal Please, present the your passport and the card of boarding.
A polite officer request for travel documents. 'Apresente' is the formal imperative of 'apresentar' (to present), standard in professional airport interactions.
- Formal imperative: 'apresente' from 'apresentar' (-ar verb: stem + e)
- Definite article 'o' used with both masculine nouns: passaporte, cartão
O senhor precisa tirar o cinto e os sapatos antes do scanner.
You need to remove your belt and shoes before the scanner.
Literal The sir needs to take off the belt and the shoes before the scanner.
'O senhor' is a formal 'you' used by officers to male travelers. 'Precisa + infinitive' expresses a requirement or necessity.
- 'O senhor' = formal masculine 'you' in professional contexts
- 'Precisa + infinitive' = needs to + verb (obligation structure)
- 'Antes do' = antes de + o (before the, masculine contraction)
Coloque todos os líquidos em um saco plástico transparente.
Place all liquids in a clear plastic bag.
Literal Place all the liquids in a plastic transparent bag.
Standard security instruction about liquids. 'Coloque' is the formal imperative of 'colocar'. Note that adjectives follow the noun in Portuguese.
- Formal imperative: 'coloque' from 'colocar' (-ar verb: stem + e)
- Adjective order: noun before adjectives — 'saco plástico transparente'
- 'Todos os' = all the (masculine plural)
O que o senhor tem nessa mochila?
What do you have in that backpack?
Literal The what the sir has in-that backpack?
'Nessa' is a contraction of 'em + essa' (in that, feminine). Officers use this question to inquire about bag contents. 'Tem' is the formal third-person form matching 'o senhor'.
- 'Nessa' = em + essa (in + that, feminine contraction)
- 'Tem' = third person singular of 'ter' — matches 'o senhor'
- 'O que' = what (interrogative opening)
Eu tenho um laptop e alguns documentos pessoais.
I have a laptop and some personal documents.
Literal I have a laptop and some personal documents.
A natural traveler response explaining carry-on contents. 'Tenho' is first-person of 'ter'. 'Alguns' is the masculine plural indefinite for 'some'.
- 'Tenho' = first person singular of 'ter' (to have)
- 'Alguns' = some (masculine plural indefinite adjective)
- Direct object list joined by 'e' (and)
Por favor, passe pelo detector de metais.
Please walk through the metal detector.
Literal Please, pass through-the detector of metals.
'Passe' is the formal imperative of 'passar'. 'Pelo' is a contraction of 'por + o' (through the). A core instruction you will hear at every checkpoint.
- Formal imperative: 'passe' from 'passar' (-ar verb: stem + e)
- 'Pelo' = por + o (through the, masculine contraction)
- 'De metais' = of metals (de + plural noun — no article needed here)
Desculpe, não entendi a instrução. Pode repetir, por favor?
Excuse me, I didn't understand the instruction. Can you repeat it, please?
Literal Excuse, not understood the instruction. Can repeat, please?
Essential phrase when you miss an officer's instruction. 'Não entendi' uses the preterite past tense. 'Pode repetir?' is a polite, natural way to ask for repetition.
- 'Não entendi' = preterite of 'entender' (I didn't understand)
- 'Pode + infinitive?' = Can you + verb? (polite request structure)
- 'Desculpe' = excuse me / I'm sorry (formal imperative of 'desculpar')
Coloque o computador na bandeja, por favor.
Please put the computer in the tray.
Literal Place the computer in-the tray, please.
'Na' is a contraction of 'em + a' (in the, feminine). 'Bandeja' (tray) is the plastic bin for your belongings. Placing 'por favor' at the end softens the command.
- 'Na' = em + a (in + the, feminine contraction)
- Formal imperative 'coloque' repeated to reinforce the pattern
- 'Por favor' at end of sentence = softened polite instruction
Para onde o senhor está viajando hoje?
Where are you traveling to today?
Literal For where the sir is traveling today?
'Para onde' (to where) asks about destination — different from 'onde' alone (where). 'Está viajando' is the present continuous, describing an ongoing action.
- 'Para onde' = to where (destination question, not just location)
- 'Está + gerund (-ndo)' = present continuous: 'está viajando' (is traveling)
- 'O senhor' formal address maintained throughout officer speech
Pode pegar suas coisas do outro lado da esteira.
You can pick up your things on the other side of the conveyor belt.
Literal Can pick up your things from-the other side of-the conveyor belt.
'Pode' here grants permission — 'you can / you may'. 'Do/da' are contractions of 'de + o/de + a'. This closes the security interaction, signaling you are free to go.
- 'Pode + infinitive' = you can / you may (permission)
- 'Do' = de + o, 'da' = de + a (masculine and feminine contractions with 'de')
- 'Suas coisas' = your things (possessive + noun, feminine plural)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
passaporte
passport
Mostre o seu passaporte ao agente de segurança.
Show your passport to the security agent.
Always use the masculine article: 'o passaporte'. Essential document for any international travel.
segurança
security / security officer
A segurança pediu para eu abrir a mochila.
The security officer asked me to open the backpack.
Can refer to the concept of security or the person. Context clarifies meaning.
bandeja
tray
Coloque o celular e as chaves na bandeja.
Put your phone and keys in the tray.
The plastic scanning tray — one of the most common words at airport security.
líquidos
liquids
Todos os líquidos devem estar em frascos de 100ml.
All liquids must be in 100ml containers.
Plural of 'líquido'. Key term for the international liquids rule at checkpoints.
cinto
belt
Tire o cinto antes de passar pelo detector.
Take off your belt before going through the detector.
Refers to a waist belt. Metal buckles trigger the detector and must be removed.
bagagem
luggage / baggage
Minha bagagem de mão está dentro do limite.
My carry-on luggage is within the limit.
'Bagagem de mão' = carry-on; 'bagagem despachada' = checked baggage.
embarque
boarding
O cartão de embarque é necessário na segurança.
The boarding pass is required at security.
'Cartão de embarque' = boarding pass; 'portão de embarque' = boarding gate.
proibido
prohibited / forbidden
Isqueiros são proibidos na bagagem de mão.
Lighters are prohibited in carry-on luggage.
Common on airport signage. Feminine form: 'proibida'. 'Proibido fumar' = no smoking.
esteira
conveyor belt
Suas malas vão aparecer na esteira de bagagens.
Your bags will appear on the baggage conveyor belt.
The moving belt carrying bags through the X-ray — and also baggage claim belts on arrival.
sapatos
shoes
Retire os sapatos e coloque-os na bandeja.
Remove your shoes and place them in the tray.
Plural of 'sapato'. Not all airports require removal, but knowing this word prevents confusion.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Ana chegou ao balcão de segurança e tirou o cinto, os sapatos e o laptop da mochila. O agente pediu para ela colocar tudo nas bandejas e passar pelo detector de metais. Quando o alarme tocou, a segurança perguntou se ela tinha moedas no bolso. Ana esvaziou os bolsos e passou sem problemas. No final, ela pegou suas coisas da esteira e seguiu para o portão de embarque.
Sentence by sentence
chegou ao balcão de segurança
arrived at the security checkpoint
'Chegou' is the preterite of 'chegar' (to arrive). 'Ao' = a + o (to the, masculine). 'Balcão de segurança' literally means 'security counter' — the checkpoint desk.
tirou o cinto, os sapatos e o laptop da mochila
took off her belt, shoes, and laptop from her backpack
'Tirou' = preterite of 'tirar' (to remove/take off). 'Da' = de + a (from the, feminine). Three items listed with 'e' joining the last two.
pediu para ela colocar tudo nas bandejas
asked her to put everything in the trays
'Pediu para + infinitive' = asked (someone) to do something. 'Tudo' = everything. 'Nas' = em + as (in the, feminine plural contraction).
Quando o alarme tocou
When the alarm went off
'Quando' = when. 'Tocou' = preterite of 'tocar' (to ring/sound/go off). This sets up the conditional follow-up moment — a common airport scenario.
se ela tinha moedas no bolso
if she had coins in her pocket
'Se' = if (introducing indirect question). 'Tinha' = imperfect of 'ter' (had). 'No' = em + o (in the). 'Moedas' = coins (plural of moeda).
passou sem problemas
passed through without problems
'Passou' = preterite of 'passar' (to pass through). 'Sem' = without. A very useful everyday expression applicable well beyond airports.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Formal Imperative for Instructions and Commands
In Brazilian Portuguese, security officers and service professionals use the formal imperative to give instructions. For -ar verbs, drop the infinitive ending and add -e (falar → fale, colocar → coloque). For -er and -ir verbs, drop the ending and add -a (escrever → escreva, abrir → abra). This form is identical to the third-person present subjunctive and signals respect or authority in professional contexts.
-ar verbs: stem + e | -er / -ir verbs: stem + a
Apresente o seu passaporte, por favor.
Please present your passport.
Coloque os eletrônicos na bandeja.
Put the electronics in the tray.
Passe pelo detector de metais.
Go through the metal detector.
Abra a mala para inspeção.
Open the suitcase for inspection.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Portuguese (Brazil): "Please present your passport and boarding pass."
Hint Use the formal imperative — 'apresente' (present/show).
Complete the sentence: "Coloque todos os líquidos em um ___ ___ transparente."
Hint Think about what container is used for liquids at security checkpoints.
Translate to English: "O senhor precisa tirar o cinto e os sapatos antes do scanner."
Hint 'Tirar' here means to remove/take off, and 'o senhor' is a formal 'you'.
A security officer asks where you're going. Which is the correct formal response to "Para onde o senhor está viajando hoje?"
Rewrite this informal sentence using the formal imperative, as an airport officer would say it: "Você coloca o computador na bandeja."
Hint Drop the subject pronoun and change the verb ending to the formal imperative form.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Portuguese (Brazil) capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.