Ela mentiu para salvar a tia

What does “pelo amor de Deus” mean in Portuguese?

Pelo amor de Deus means “for the love of God,” but it’s usually not religious. People say it to beg, or when they’re fed up. Pelo amor de Deus, vem rápido! means “please, hurry!” Said with a sigh, ah, pelo amor de Deus means “oh, come on.” The tone tells you which one it is.

Here it opens a call to the emergency service: Pelo amor de Deus… ela está morrendo (“she’s dying”). The caller lies about her aunt. The real emergency is the man who locked her in the kitchen. In fast speech the phrase often blurs into pelamordedeus, and plenty of people just say pelo amor!