How to say “Please write it down” in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning simple, practical phrases can make everyday interactions in Brazil much easier. This article focuses on how to say please write it down in Brazilian Portuguese, when to use different forms, and how to pronounce and customize these phrases for polite and natural conversations.

Basic ways to say please write it down

The most direct and commonly used phrase is Por favor, escreva isso. This means please write this down and works well in both formal and informal situations when you are speaking to one person whom you address with the formal or neutral verb form.

Another frequent, simpler option is Escreva, por favor. Use this when you want to sound polite but concise. In everyday friendly speech, Brazilians often prefer shorter variants that still sound courteous.

Writing down a phone number or an address

When asking someone to write a phone number or an address, you can be specific by adding the object after the verb. For example:

Por favor, escreva meu número
Por favor, escreva o endereço

Or with the object following the verb:

Escreva, por favor meu número
Escreva, por favor o endereço

Polite and formal alternatives

For more formal contexts, such as dealing with a clerk, a teacher, or an older person, you can use the imperative or a more indirect request. The formal imperative for you (singular, using vós is uncommon) is the same as the standard imperative in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. A useful alternative is Você poderia escrever isso, por favor, which literally asks could you write that, please and is softer and more polite.

If you want to be even more formal or indirect, use O senhor poderia escrever isso, por favor or A senhora poderia escrever isso, por favor when addressing a man or woman respectfully.

Examples for formal situations

In a bank or post office:
O senhor poderia escrever isso, por favor

To a teacher or professor:
A senhora poderia escrever isso na lousa, por favor (please write that on the board)

Informal and colloquial ways

Among friends, family, or peers, Brazilians use more relaxed phrasing. A common casual request is Escreve isso pra mim. This uses the informal imperative form and the contraction pra instead of para, which sounds very natural in speech.

You might also hear Anota aí, which roughly means jot it down or write it down there. It is extremely common in everyday speech and carries a friendly, informal tone.

Examples for informal contexts

Asking a friend to write down your new address:
Escreve isso pra mim

Quickly asking a colleague to note a time or detail:
Anota aí 15h na sexta

Using pronouns and direct objects correctly

Portuguese often places object pronouns differently than English. When you use pronouns like it or that, you have choices depending on emphasis and formality. The direct object pronoun for it (masculine or neutral reference) is o, and for it (feminine) is a.

For example, if you want someone to write it down referring to a word or a number, you can say:

Escreve isso (write this down) — neutral and very common
Escreve-o, por favor (write it down, please) — more formal and less common in speech

In everyday conversation the pronoun is usually omitted or replaced by isso or esse/essa for clarity.

Examples with pronouns

Referring to a number someone just said:
Escreve esse número, por favor

Referring to an address someone wrote on a card:
Escreve isso aí?

Imperative forms and conjugation notes

Understanding the imperative is helpful because many of these requests use imperatives. The imperative affirmative forms for escrever (to write) are:

tu escreve (informal singular in some regions) — less common in much of Brazil
você escreva — standard for polite singular address
nós escrevamos — let us write (rare in speech)
vocês escrevam — plural you

However, most Brazilians use você escreva or the more colloquial escreve (from tu) depending on region. For most learners, use você escreva or the polite alternative Você poderia escrever isso when in doubt.

Examples with different subjects

Asking a group of people to write something down:
Vocês escrevam isso, por favor

Asking one person politely:
Você poderia escrever isso para mim?

Short, high-frequency commands and their tone

Short commands are useful but consider tone. Escreve and Anota are quick and common. Add por favor to soften them. Without por favor they can sound abrupt depending on context.

Other short expressions include:

Marca aí — mark that down there
Grava aí — write down or record that informally

Examples showing tone differences

Quickly asking someone at a busy desk:
Escreve, por favor

Barking the same order without politeness might feel rude in some contexts:
Escreve isso (avoid this with strangers)

When to use para, pra, or aí

Para and pra both mean for or to and are used in various requests. Pra is the informal contraction most Brazilians use when speaking. Aí means there or here depending on context and is often used in commands like anota aí to mean write that down now or jot it down there.

Examples:

Escreve isso pra mim — write this down for me (informal)
Escreve isso para mim — same meaning, slightly more formal

Pronunciation guide and stress

Pronunciation tips help your request sound natural. Portuguese stress patterns matter but for these common phrases it’s straightforward:

Escreva — es-KREH-va (stress on the second syllable)
Escreve — es-KREH-vee
Por favor — por fa-VOR (stress on the second word)
Anota — a-NO-ta

Listen to native speakers and mimic the rhythm. Brazilian Portuguese tends to flow with connected syllables and softer consonants than English.

Short dialogues with context

Dialogue 1 — at a cafe

Cliente: Desculpa, você poderia escrever o endereço?
Barista: Claro, posso escrever aqui no guardanapo

Dialogue 2 — among friends

Amigo 1: Me passa o número
Amigo 2: Escreve isso pra mim?

Dialogue 3 — in a classroom

Aluno: Professor, você poderia escrever isso na lousa, por favor?
Professor: Sim, vou escrever agora

Usage notes and cultural tips

Brazilians value warmth and friendliness. Adding por favor and obrigado/obrigada after a request keeps interactions polite. Use different forms of address depending on the relationship and setting. Using vocabulário too formal with close friends can sound stiff, while being too informal with elders or professionals can be disrespectful.

In writing, especially in formal emails or notes, prefer full forms like por favor and para. In spoken conversation, pra and contractions are perfectly acceptable and sound natural.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Beginners often directly translate please write it down to something awkward. Avoid literal translations like escreve por favor isso which sound unnatural. Place por favor at the beginning or end of the phrase: Por favor, escreva isso or Escreva isso, por favor.

Another common error is misplacing pronouns. Avoid putting object pronouns in the middle of the verb phrase in spoken registers. Prefer escreva isso or escreve isso pra mim for clarity.

Additional useful phrases

Here are some related phrases that expand your ability to ask someone to record information:

Você pode anotar isso? — Can you write that down?
Me mostra e eu escrevo — Show me and I will write it
Escreve no papel — Write it on the paper
Coloca no celular — Put it in the phone

Practice tips for learners

Practice these phrases in real conversations, focusing on politeness markers and verb forms. Record yourself and compare with native pronunciation. Try substituting different objects (número, endereço, hora, nome) to become comfortable with the structure.

Notice regional differences: Brazilians from the south may use tu + escreve more often, while most urban speakers use você + escreva. Listening to Brazilian media helps you internalize the most natural patterns for the area you will be in.

Conclusion

Mastering how to say please write it down in Brazilian Portuguese gives you a useful tool for daily life, travel, and work. Use forms like Por favor, escreva isso for polite requests, Escreve isso pra mim with friends, and Você poderia escrever isso, por favor in formal contexts. Pay attention to pronouns, tone, and regional variations to sound natural and respectful.