Introduction
Learning how to ask someone to tell you when other people arrive is a practical skill in Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains natural ways to say please tell me when they arrive, breaks down key words, offers beginner-friendly examples, and shows short dialogues you can use in everyday situations like homes, offices, restaurants, and transit.
Core phrase and simple alternatives
The most direct way to ask someone to notify you in Brazilian Portuguese is Por favor, me avise quando eles chegarem. This sentence is polite, clear, and works in most contexts where you expect multiple people to arrive.
Other common variants include polite and casual forms to match different situations:
Por favor, me avise quando chegarem — slightly shorter; often used when subject is implied.
Me avisa quando eles chegarem, por favor — informal and friendly, used with friends or family.
Avisa a gente quando chegarem, por favor — informal plural you; used when you want a group to notify you.
Key vocabulary explained
Por favor — please; used to make requests polite.
Me — me; object pronoun meaning to me. In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, you may also hear mim in casual speech, but me is grammatically correct for this structure.
Avise / Avisa — tell/notify; avise is formal or subjunctive, avisa is the informal imperative.
Quando — when; introduces the time clause.
Eles — they (masculine or mixed group). If you refer to an all-female group, use elas.
Chegarem / Chegarem — to arrive in the subjunctive or future clause. The verb is chegar.
Grammar tip: why chegarem and not chegam
In Portuguese, time clauses after quando often use the subjunctive when referring to future events. So quando eles chegarem is used to mean when they arrive (in the future), while quando eles chegam would describe habitual actions. For a beginner, memorize the most common polite formula: Por favor, me avise quando eles chegarem.
Polite vs. informal forms
Choose a form based on your relationship with the listener.
Polite/formal: Por favor, me avise quando eles chegarem. Use with colleagues, service staff, or people you do not know well.
Neutral: Me avisa quando eles chegarem, por favor. Suitable for casual but respectful interactions.
Informal: Avisa quando chegarem or Me avisa quando eles chegarem. Use with friends, roommates, or family.
Practical contexts and sample phrases
Below are common scenarios where you might ask someone to tell you when others arrive. Each example uses Brazilian Portuguese phrases a beginner can copy.
At home when expecting guests:
Por favor, me avise quando os convidados chegarem
At a restaurant when waiting for friends:
Me avisa quando eles chegarem, por favor
At work when colleagues are arriving for a meeting:
Por favor, avise-me quando a equipe chegar — a slightly more formal variant using a equipe for team (singular collective).
At a station or bus stop asking a companion to watch for someone:
Avisa se o João chegar — informal single name example: tell me if João arrives.
Short dialogues: everyday situations
Scenario: Home host asks a roommate to notify them when friends get there.
Host: Me avisa quando eles chegarem, tá?
Roommate: Claro, vou avisar.
Scenario: At an office reception, receptionist asks to be notified when a visitor arrives for a team.
Colleague: Por favor, me avise quando a nova equipe chegar
Receptionist: Combinado, eu aviso assim que chegarem.
Scenario: Waiting for family at a restaurant.
You: Avisa a gente quando os tios chegarem
Friend: Tudo bem, eu aviso.
Common replies and confirmations
When someone asks you to let them know, use these natural replies in Brazilian Portuguese.
Claro, eu aviso — Sure, I’ll let you know.
Tudo bem, vou avisar — Okay, I’ll notify you.
OK, te aviso — Informal: I’ll tell you (te is informal you).
Combinado — Agreed / got it.
Short message or text examples
Text to roommate:
Me avisa quando eles chegarem
Short reply:
Beleza, aviso.
Text to receptionist:
Por favor, avise quando o grupo de clientes chegar
Reply:
Recebido, aviso assim que chegarem.
Beginner tips for sounding natural
1. Use por favor at the start or end of the sentence to sound polite: Por favor, me avise… or …chegarem, por favor.
2. Contraction: In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people often say me avisa instead of avise-me. Both are correct; me avisa feels more natural in conversation.
3. Use names or roles to be specific: substituting eles with names or words like convidados, colegas, clientes makes your request clearer: Por favor, me avise quando os convidados chegarem.
4. Match formality to the situation: use avise-me or avise in formal written contexts; use me avisa or te aviso in casual talk.
Common beginner mistakes
Using English word order or literal translations can sound odd. Avoid direct word-for-word translations like Please tell me when they arrive -> Por favor, diga-me quando eles chegam. The better phrasing is Por favor, me avise quando eles chegarem.
Mistake: Using mim instead of me after the verb. Incorrect: Avise mim. Correct: Avise-me or Me avise.
Mistake: Using chega without the future/subjunctive when talking about a future event. Try to learn the phrase form quando eles chegarem for future arrivals.
Useful variations and vocabulary list
Vocab list with explanations for quick reference:
Por favor — please
Me / me avise — me / tell me / notify me
Avisa — tell/notify (informal imperative)
Avise — tell/notify (formal or subjunctive)
Quando — when
Chegar / chegarem — to arrive / when they arrive
Convidados — guests
Equipe — team
Clientes — clients
Chegou / chegaram — he/she arrived / they arrived (past)
Examples combining vocabulary
Por favor, me avise quando os clientes chegarem — Please tell me when the clients arrive.
Me avisa quando a Ana chegar — Tell me when Ana arrives.
Avisa se o ônibus chegar antes — Let me know if the bus arrives earlier.
Practical follow-up expressions
After someone notifies you, you may respond with these simple phrases:
Ok, obrigado — Okay, thank you (male speaker).
Ok, obrigada — Okay, thank you (female speaker).
Ótimo, vou sair para encontrá-los — Great, I’ll go out to meet them.
Perfeito, obrigado por avisar — Perfect, thanks for letting me know.
Real-life mini scenarios to practice
Scenario: You are hosting a dinner and need a roommate to watch the door.
Phrase to use: Por favor, me avise quando os convidados chegarem
Roommate replies: Tranquilo, eu aviso.
Scenario: At work, you ask reception to call your phone when a candidate arrives for an interview.
Phrase to use: Por favor, avise-me quando o candidato chegar
Reception replies: Vou ligar assim que ele chegar.
Conclusion
Asking someone to tell you when people arrive is a small but very useful conversational skill in Brazilian Portuguese. Use the key phrase Por favor, me avise quando eles chegarem for polite requests, and adapt to informal forms like Me avisa quando chegarem with friends. Practice the short dialogues and vocabulary above to feel comfortable in homes, restaurants, and workplaces.
