How to Report a Power or Water Outage in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice

State what is not working

Begin with the service and the problem: acabou a luz (the power went out) or estamos sem água (we have no water). If only one appliance or tap is affected, explain that instead of saying the whole home has an outage. A precise first sentence helps the listener ask the right follow-up question.

Use desde to say when an issue began: estamos sem luz desde as oito (we have had no power since eight). If you do not know the cause, describe what you observe rather than guessing whether the problem is inside the building or outside.

Give an address the other person can confirm

Say the street, number, apartment or unit, and neighborhood if needed. In a condominium, include the building name and bloco (building section) when relevant. Ask the other person to repeat the unit or address if you are not sure they heard it correctly.

If other homes are affected, say so: os apartamentos do meu andar também estão sem água (the apartments on my floor also have no water). This is a factual detail, not proof of where the issue started.

Ask what happens next

You can ask whether a report has been opened and how to follow it: já registraram o problema? (has the problem been reported yet?) or qual é o número do protocolo? (what is the reference number?). Processes and response times depend on the provider and location, so ask the person handling your report for the current details.

If someone gives an estimated time, check whether it is only an estimate: esse horário é uma previsão? (is that time an estimate?). Repeat the next step back to confirm whether you should wait, contact the provider again, or speak to the building manager.

Remember: Describe the service, location, and start time; then ask how the report will be tracked. Do not guess the cause or promise a repair time.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. The power went out in my apartment about twenty minutes ago.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Acabou a luz no meu apartamento há uns vinte minutos.

2. We have had no water since this morning.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estamos sem água desde esta manhã.

3. It’s at 80 Rua das Flores, apartment 302.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   É na Rua das Flores, número 80, apartamento 302.

4. Can you confirm the address you wrote down?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você pode confirmar o endereço que anotou?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Describe the service, location, and start time; then ask how the report will be tracked. Do not guess the cause or promise a repair time.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Report a Power or Water Outage in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.