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Portuguese · Home & repairs · Elementary

How to tell your landlord the boiler is broken in Portuguese

Call your landlord and say what’s wrong: “Não há água quente” or “O esquentador deixou de funcionar”. Offer a photo, then ask for a repair: “Pode mandar alguém ver isto?”. Say when you’re in, “Estou em casa entre as nove e o meio-dia”, and ask for the visit to be confirmed in writing.

Try it · about two minutes

There’s no hot water, so you call your landlord to explain and get someone sent round.

You choose what to say back, and Frasa tells you why it works.

The conversation

  1. Landlord

    Estou? Quem fala?

    Hello? Who’s speaking?

    You

    Bom dia, arrendo a sua casa.

    Good morning, I rent your flat.

  2. Landlord

    Qual é o problema?

    What’s the problem?

    You

    Não há água quente.

    There’s no hot water.

  3. Landlord

    Já tentou desligar e voltar a ligar?

    Have you tried switching it off and on again?

    You

    Já, e continua sem acender.

    Yes, and it still won’t light.

  4. Landlord

    Pode enviar-me uma fotografia do problema?

    Can you send me a photo of the problem?

    You

    Claro, envio já.

    Of course, I’ll send it now.

  5. Landlord

    O técnico vem na quinta-feira de manhã.

    The technician is coming on Thursday morning.

    You

    Estou em casa entre as nove e o meio-dia.

    I’m at home between nine and noon.

  6. Landlord

    Esta semana resolvemos isto, prometo.

    We’ll sort this out this week, I promise.

    You

    Pode confirmar a visita por escrito, por favor?

    Can you confirm the visit in writing, please?

Key phrases

  • Não há água quente.

    There’s no hot water.

  • O esquentador deixou de funcionar.

    The water heater has stopped working.

  • O aquecimento não funciona.

    The heating doesn’t work.

  • Pode mandar alguém ver isto?

    Can you send someone to look at this?

  • Quando pode vir alguém?

    When can someone come?

  • Enviei-lhe uma fotografia do problema.

    I’ve sent you a photo of the problem.

  • Estou em casa entre as nove e o meio-dia.

    I’m at home between nine and noon.

  • Ligue-me antes de vir, por favor.

    Please call me before you come.

  • Está avariado há três dias.

    It’s been broken for three days.

  • Pode confirmar a visita por escrito, por favor?

    Can you confirm the visit in writing, please?

Good to know in Portugal

Boiler or esquentador?

Many homes in Portugal heat water with an esquentador, a gas water heater, or with an electric tank, a termoacumulador. A caldeira is a boiler that can also run radiators.

Reporting a repair

  1. 1

    Call or message your landlord, o senhorio, and say what’s wrong.

  2. 2

    Send a photo of the problem.

    Enviei-lhe uma fotografia do problema.I’ve sent you a photo of the problem.
  3. 3

    Agree a time when you’re at home.

    Estou em casa entre as nove e o meio-dia.I’m at home between nine and noon.

Keep it formal

Polite

Pode mandar alguém ver isto?

Can you send someone to look at this?

Blunt

Você pode mandar alguém ver isto?

Can you send someone to look at this?

With a landlord, use the verb on its own, or o senhor or a senhora. Adding você can sound blunt.

More situations in Portuguese

All situations in Portuguese

Keep these phrases in Frasa

Frasa is an iPhone app for the conversations in front of you. Save phrases like these, rehearse them out loud, and they come back until they stick.

AI-generated. May be inaccurate.