Na Consulta Médica
At the doctor's office · a free Portuguese (Portugal) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Tenho dor de cabeça há dois dias.
I have had a headache for two days.
Literal I have head-pain for two days.
Uses 'tenho' (I have) with 'há' to express ongoing duration — a core pattern for describing how long a symptom has lasted.
- 'Tenho' is the first-person singular present of 'ter' (to have)
- 'Há' + time period = duration up to now, equivalent to 'for' in English
Pode marcar uma consulta para hoje?
Can you make an appointment for today?
Literal Can (you) book a consultation for today?
A polite request using 'pode' (can you). In European Portuguese the subject pronoun is typically dropped, which sounds natural and direct.
- 'Pode' is the third-person present of 'poder' (to be able/can)
- Subject pronouns are usually omitted in European Portuguese; 'pode' alone is polite
A médica examinou-me e pediu análises ao sangue.
The doctor examined me and ordered blood tests.
Literal The female doctor examined-me and requested blood analyses.
Preterite tense shows a completed sequence of events. The clitic '-me' attaches directly after the verb — a hallmark of European Portuguese word order.
- 'Examinou' and 'pediu' are preterite (simple past) forms showing completed actions
- In European Portuguese, clitic pronouns follow the verb and attach with a hyphen: 'examinou-me'
Sinto-me muito cansado ultimamente.
I have been feeling very tired lately.
Literal I feel myself very tired lately.
'Sentir-se' is a reflexive verb. 'Sinto-me' is the natural way to express how you feel physically. 'Ultimamente' signals a recent ongoing state.
- 'Sentir-se' is reflexive; 'sinto-me' = I feel (myself)
- 'Cansado' is a predicate adjective agreeing in gender and number with the subject
Tive febre durante três dias na semana passada.
I had a fever for three days last week.
Literal I had fever during three days in the past week.
Preterite 'tive' describes a completed past episode. 'Durante' marks the length of that finished event, contrasting with 'há', which anchors duration to the present.
- 'Tive' is the irregular preterite of 'ter'
- 'Na semana passada' = last week; 'durante' = for/during (finished duration)
Podia explicar como devo tomar este medicamento?
Could you explain how I should take this medication?
Literal Could (you) explain how I must take this medication?
The imperfect 'podia' is widely used in European Portuguese as a softened conditional, making requests noticeably more polite than using 'pode'.
- 'Podia' (imperfect of 'poder') functions as a polite conditional in spoken European Portuguese
- 'Devo' = I should/must, from 'dever'
É necessário tomar um comprimido de manhã e um à noite.
You need to take one tablet in the morning and one at night.
Literal It is necessary to take one tablet in the morning and one at night.
'É necessário' + infinitive is a standard impersonal structure for medical instructions — formal yet clear and direct.
- 'É necessário' + infinitive = it is necessary to…
- 'De manhã' = in the morning; 'à noite' = at night (note the contraction 'à' = a + a)
Tenho alergia à penicilina, é importante saber.
I am allergic to penicillin, it is important to know.
Literal I have allergy to penicillin, it is important to know.
In Portuguese, allergy is expressed with 'ter alergia a' (to have an allergy to) rather than an adjective as in English.
- 'Tenho alergia a' = I am allergic to (literally 'I have allergy to')
- 'À' is a contraction of 'a' + 'a' (the preposition + feminine definite article)
Seria possível obter uma referência para um especialista?
Would it be possible to get a referral to a specialist?
Literal Would it be possible to obtain a reference for a specialist?
Conditional 'seria' makes requests sound formal and respectful — ideal for asking about additional care. 'Referência' in a medical context means a referral.
- 'Seria' is the conditional of 'ser' — more deferential than the present 'é'
- 'Obter' = to obtain, a formal register verb common in medical and official language
A consulta de seguimento está marcada para a próxima semana.
The follow-up appointment is scheduled for next week.
Literal The follow-up consultation is marked for the next week.
'Está marcada' uses estar + past participle to express a current state resulting from a completed action — the appointment has been set and remains so.
- 'Está marcada' = estar + past participle, describing the current state of the appointment
- 'Seguimento' = follow-up; 'próxima semana' = next week
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
consulta
appointment / consultation
Marquei uma consulta para amanhã de manhã.
I booked an appointment for tomorrow morning.
Used for both the medical appointment slot and the consultation itself
médico
doctor
O médico pediu-me para descrever os sintomas.
The doctor asked me to describe the symptoms.
Feminine form is 'médica'; article and adjectives change accordingly
receita
prescription
O médico passou uma receita para antibióticos.
The doctor wrote a prescription for antibiotics.
Also means 'recipe' in cooking; medical context makes meaning clear
sintoma
symptom
Quais são os seus sintomas principais?
What are your main symptoms?
Despite ending in '-a', this is masculine: 'o sintoma'
febre
fever
Tenho febre desde ontem à tarde.
I have had a fever since yesterday afternoon.
comprimido
tablet / pill
Tome um comprimido três vezes por dia às refeições.
Take one tablet three times a day with meals.
análises
blood / lab tests
Os resultados das análises ficam prontos em dois dias.
The test results will be ready in two days.
Typically used in the plural; 'análises ao sangue' = blood tests
alergia
allergy
Tenho alergia a alguns antibióticos.
I am allergic to some antibiotics.
Use 'ter alergia a' — not an adjective as in English
dor
pain / ache
Sinto uma dor forte no lado direito.
I feel a sharp pain on the right side.
Combines with body parts: 'dor de cabeça' (headache), 'dor de garganta' (sore throat)
especialista
specialist
A médica de família enviou-me para um especialista.
My GP referred me to a specialist.
Same form for both genders; only the article changes: 'o/a especialista'
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
A Mariana foi ao centro de saúde porque sentia dores de garganta e tinha febre há dois dias. A recepcionista marcou-lhe uma consulta para as onze horas. O médico examinou-a com cuidado e explicou que tinha uma infeção bacteriana. Receitou-lhe um antibiótico e pediu-lhe que voltasse se os sintomas não melhorassem em cinco dias.
Sentence by sentence
foi ao centro de saúde
went to the health centre
'Foi' is the preterite of 'ir' (to go). 'Centro de saúde' is Portugal's primary care clinic — distinct from a hospital.
sentia dores de garganta e tinha febre
had been feeling a sore throat and had had a fever
Imperfect tense ('sentia', 'tinha') describes ongoing background states in the past, setting the scene before the main actions.
há dois dias
for two days
'Há' + time period anchors duration to a reference point — here the past moment of the visit, not the present.
marcou-lhe uma consulta
booked her an appointment
'Lhe' is an indirect object clitic meaning 'for her/him'. In European Portuguese it follows the verb with a hyphen.
tinha uma infeção bacteriana
she had a bacterial infection
European Portuguese spelling: 'infeção' (no 'c' before 'ç'). Brazilian Portuguese writes 'infecção'.
pediu-lhe que voltasse
asked her to come back
'Pedir que' + imperfect subjunctive ('voltasse') is the standard structure for reported requests in Portuguese.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Using 'há' to Express Duration
'Há' placed after a present-tense verb expresses how long a situation has been going on — equivalent to English 'for' in sentences like 'I have had this pain for three days.' Unlike English, Portuguese keeps the verb in the present tense rather than switching to a perfect form. When the duration refers to a completed past period, pair 'durante' with the preterite instead.
[Present tense verb] + há + [time period]
Tenho dor de cabeça há dois dias.
I have had a headache for two days.
Ela sente-se mal há uma semana.
She has been feeling unwell for a week.
Espero aqui há meia hora.
I have been waiting here for half an hour.
Tínhamos febre há três dias quando fomos ao médico.
We had had a fever for three days when we went to the doctor.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Portuguese: 'I have had a headache for two days.'
Hint Use 'há' + time period with the present tense to express ongoing duration.
Complete the sentence with the correct word: 'Sinto-me muito cansado ___ três semanas.'
Hint This feeling started three weeks ago and is still going on.
The doctor says you need to take medication. Which sentence is correct?
Translate to English: 'Seria possível obter uma referência para um especialista?'
Hint 'Seria' is the conditional of 'ser' — think 'would it be…'
Rewrite using 'há' to express ongoing duration: 'I have been feeling feverish since last Monday. I still have a fever now.'
Hint Present tense + 'há' + time period.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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