How to say “Please tell me when we arrive” in Portuguese

Introduction

Traveling or commuting in Brazil often means relying on public transport or rides with friends. A key sentence to know is how to ask someone to notify you when you arrive. This article explains how to say please tell me when we arrive in Brazilian Portuguese, when to use it, useful variations, and beginner-friendly examples you can use right away.

Core phrase and literal meaning

The most direct way to say please tell me when we arrive in Brazilian Portuguese is Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos.

Breakdown in English:

Por favor = please

me avise = tell me / notify me (me is the object pronoun; avise is the formal/subjunctive/imperative form of avisar)

quando = when

chegarmos = we arrive / we get there (first person plural in the present subjunctive; common after quando for future events)

Why this structure works

Brazilian Portuguese often uses the present subjunctive after quando for future events, so chegarmos is natural and common. Using me avise makes the request polite but direct. Including por favor softens the tone and is appropriate with drivers, friends, or service staff.

Alternative polite forms

Por favor, avise-me quando chegarmos

Por favor, me avise quando a gente chegar

Quando a gente chegar, me avisa, por favor

Me avise quando chegarmos, por favor

Casual variations for friends

With friends you can be more relaxed. A common informal alternative uses a gente instead of nós:

Me avisa quando a gente chegar, tá?

Explanation: a gente chegar is the informal equivalent of nós chegarmos. Tá? adds a friendly tag like okay?

Polite forms for drivers or strangers

If you’re speaking to a driver, taxi, or rideshare driver and want to be extra polite, use a slightly more formal construction:

Por favor, poderia me avisar quando chegarmos?

Explanation: poderia me avisar is a polite conditional, similar to could you please tell me. It is common when speaking to service providers.

Useful vocabulary related to arrival

chegar = to arrive

avisar = to tell / to notify

me = me / to me

nos = us / to us

a gente = we (informal)

por favor = please

quando = when

já = already (can be used to mean now or soon in context)

Short practical phrases beginners should memorize

Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos

Me avisa quando a gente chegar, por favor

Você pode me avisar quando chegarmos?

Por favor, poderia me avisar quando chegarmos?

Me avise antes de chegar, por favor

Example contexts and explanations

On a bus: If you want the driver or a fellow passenger to wake you up or tell you where to get off, use Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos. On long intercity buses Brazilians also ask fellow passengers for help.

In a taxi or ride app: With a driver say Por favor, poderia me avisar quando chegarmos? or Me avisa quando a gente chegar, por favor to be polite and clear.

With friends: When traveling with friends, say Me avisa quando a gente chegar, tá? which feels casual and friendly.

At an airport or station: If you need a travel companion to tell you when to get off the train say Me avisa quando chegarmos na estação? adding na estação to specify the station.

Sample sentences with slight variations

Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos ao hotel
Explanation: add ao hotel for specific destination

Me avisa quando a gente chegar no ponto de ônibus, por favor
Explanation: no ponto de ônibus means at the bus stop

Você pode me avisar quando chegarmos lá?
Explanation: lá means there

Short beginner-friendly dialogues

Dialogue 1: Bus ride

Passageiro: Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos no centro
Colega: Pode deixar, eu aviso

Translation notes: Pode deixar means sure/you can count on me

Dialogue 2: Taxi

Passageiro: Por favor, poderia me avisar quando chegarmos?
Motorista: Claro, sem problema

Translation notes: Claro means of course; sem problema means no problem

Dialogue 3: Friends

Amiga: Me avisa quando a gente chegar no restaurante, tá?
Você: Tá bom, aviso sim

Translation notes: Tá bom means okay; aviso sim means I will tell you

Pronunciation tips for beginners

chegarmos pronounced roughly sheh-GAR-moos (soft sh sound for ch)

avise pronounced ah-VEE-zee (the final e becomes an i sound in polite imperative)

me avisa pronounced mee ah-VEE-zah (informal second person imperative)

a gente pronounced ah ZHEN-chee (gente sounds like ZHEN-chee in Brazilian Portuguese)

Common mistakes to avoid

Using English word order directly. In Portuguese, object pronouns often come before the verb in formal written language, but in spoken Brazilian Portuguese they commonly attach after the verb as in me avisa. Both are understood, but natural speech is important.

Avoid using chegar no instead of chegar em or chegar ao depending on the noun. For beginner purposes, usar no/na with simple places is acceptable: chegar no ponto, chegar na estação.

Mixing European and Brazilian vocabulary or spellings. Stick to Brazilian forms like a gente instead of the European nós in casual speech.

Quick tips to sound natural

Use a gente instead of nós in informal speech to sound more Brazilian.

Add por favor at the start or end to be polite in most situations.

Use poderia or você pode for more polite requests with strangers or service workers.

Include the destination if you want a clear cue: me avise quando chegarmos no aeroporto, por favor.

Practical scenarios and short phrases to keep on hand

When leaving a hostel: Me avisa quando a gente chegar ao albergue, por favor

On a subway: Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos na estação final

With a ride-share: Você pode me avisar quando chegarmos no endereço? Por favor

In a long drive: Me acorda quando a gente chegar, por favor

Resources for continued learning

Listen to Brazilian Portuguese native speakers in ride-share videos or travel vlogs to hear these phrases in context. Repeat short sentences aloud and record yourself to compare. Use language apps focused on Brazilian Portuguese to practice common verbs como avisar and chegar.

Conclusion

Knowing how to say please tell me when we arrive in Brazilian Portuguese helps you travel with confidence. Start with Por favor, me avise quando chegarmos, learn casual and polite variations, and practice the short dialogues and vocabulary provided. These simple phrases will be useful on buses, taxis, trains, and trips with friends.