Describe an Injury in Portuguese: Useful Emergency Vocabulary
Practise describing an injury in plain language without trying to diagnose it or replace professional medical advice.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Use a familiar body-part word and a simple description. For example, cabeça means head, braço means arm, perna means leg, and mão means hand. Describe what you see or what the person tells you rather than making a diagnosis.
Name the body part and what you observe
The person receiving the call may ask follow-up questions. Give only information you know and follow the guidance from qualified responders.
A pessoa machucou o braço.
The person hurt their arm.
Ela diz que está com dor na perna.
She says her leg hurts.
Explain when it happened and who needs help
Use agora (now), há pouco (a little while ago), and ontem (yesterday) to clarify timing. If more than one person is involved, state how many people you can see.
For a recent accident, report the scene and observable details to the appropriate emergency service. Do not delay urgent help to search for a perfect word.
A queda aconteceu há poucos minutos.
The fall happened a few minutes ago.
Há uma pessoa que precisa de atendimento.
There is one person who needs assistance.
Ask for language help if you need it
If you are supporting someone and cannot explain the situation, say that you need help in English or ask a bystander to translate. Do not assume that a specific service can provide an interpreter; availability depends on the location and situation.
Keep the message factual: who needs help, where they are, and what you have observed.
Preciso de ajuda para explicar o que aconteceu.
I need help explaining what happened.
Você pode traduzir esta informação para o atendente?
Could you translate this information for the call handler?
Put it into practice
Use plain words for body parts, timing, and observable details; leave assessment and treatment to qualified professionals.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “The fall happened a few minutes ago”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.