Portuguese · Home, Clothes & Daily Life
"Phone" in Portuguese: telefone
o telefone
Note: mobile: o celular; PT-PT: o telemóvel
Phone in Portuguese is o telefone. For a mobile, Brazilians usually say o celular. In European Portuguese the mobile is o telemóvel.
Asking for a contact
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How to pronounce telefone
Say it
teh-leh-FOH-nee
/te.le.ˈfo.ni/
teh-leh-FOH-nee. Clear syllables; stress foh.
"Phone" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o telefone | the phone General phone; also landline. | General phone; also landline. |
| o celular | the cell phone Everyday Brazilian mobile. | Everyday Brazilian mobile. |
| ligar para | to call Phone action verb. | Phone action verb. |
| número de telefone | phone number Forms and contacts. | Forms and contacts. |
| o telemóvel | mobile phone (Portugal) PT-PT; Brazilians say celular. | PT-PT; Brazilians say celular. |
How to use telefone in real life
- 1Asking for a contact
Me passa o seu telefone, por favor?
Can you give me your phone number, please?
Telefone often means the number too.
- 2Lost device
Esqueci o telefone no táxi!
I left my phone in the taxi!
Common travel panic.
- 3Office line
O telefone da empresa não para de tocar.
The company phone won't stop ringing.
Landline or main line sense.
Mistakes English speakers make with telefone
Incorrect: Meu telemóvel (trying to sound Brazilian).
Correct: Meu telefone. / Meu celular.
Telemóvel is PT-PT. In Brazil say telefone or celular for a mobile.
Incorrect: A telefone está tocando.
Correct: O telefone está tocando.
Telefone is masculine: o telefone.
Good to know
In Brazil, celular dominates for smartphones, while telefone still covers numbers, landlines, and formal speech. Portuguese visitors may say telemóvel. Asking Me passa seu telefone? usually means your number, not the physical device.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Exchanging numbers after class
ChatPal
Você tem o telefone da professora?
Do you have the teacher's phone number?
You
Tenho no telefone. Já te mando.
I have it on my phone. I'll send it now.
ChatPal
Valeu. Meu telefone mudou ontem.
Thanks. My phone number changed yesterday.
You
Então me manda o telefone novo também.
Then send me the new phone number too.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Phone" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Phone" in Portuguese
Telefone or celular?
Telefone is general. Celular is the Brazilian mobile.
What do people say in Portugal?
Telemóvel for a mobile phone.
How do I ask for someone's number?
Me passa o seu telefone?
Is telefone masculine?
Yes: o telefone.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
