How to ask who, what, and where questions in Portuguese

Introduction

Asking questions is one of the fastest ways to start speaking a new language. This guide focuses on how to ask who, what, and where questions in Brazilian Portuguese. You will learn the key question words, simple grammar patterns, everyday examples, and practical tips to build confidence in real situations.

Basic question words: who, what, where

In Brazilian Portuguese, the core words for asking who, what, and where are quem, o que / que, and onde. Each word has a specific role in a sentence and often appears at the beginning of the question, just like in English. Learn them and you can open most basic conversations.

quem — who (people)

o que / que — what (things, actions). Note: o que is more neutral and common in spoken questions.

onde — where (places, locations)

How to form simple yes/no vs information questions

Yes/no questions use intonation or inversion but beginners can rely on a simple pattern: statement + question intonation. Information questions use a question word at the start and usually keep normal word order.

Statement word order example: Você mora aqui. (You live here.)

Yes/no question by intonation: Você mora aqui? (Do you live here?)

Information question: Onde você mora? (Where do you live?)

Asking who: using quem

Use quem when you want to know the person or people involved. Quem can appear alone or with verbs and prepositions.

Basic examples:

Quem é você?
Translation: Who are you?

Quem vem para a festa?
Translation: Who is coming to the party?

Com quem você vai?
Translation: With whom are you going?

Note on com quem: Com means with. Put the preposition before quem for questions about accompaniment.

Common phrases with quem

Quem é? — Who is it?

Quem chamou? — Who called?

Quem é o professor? — Who is the teacher?

Asking what: using o que and que

For asking what, Brazilian Portuguese uses o que or que. Both are correct but have different uses. O que often starts a neutral or complete question. Que is shorter and common in informal speech, especially before verbs.

O que + verb examples:

O que você faz?
Translation: What do you do? (occupation or activity)

O que isto significa?
Translation: What does this mean?

Que + verb examples (more informal):

Que você quer?
Translation: What do you want?

Que horas são?
Translation: What time is it?

When asking for definitions or explanations, use o que é + noun or o que + verb:

O que é isso?
Translation: What is this?

O que significa essa palavra?
Translation: What does this word mean?

Questions about choices and clarification

To ask Which? use qual (singular) and quais (plural). This is still a what-type question because you ask about choice among options.

Qual é o seu número?
Translation: Which/What is your number?

Quais são as opções?
Translation: Which are the options?

Asking where: using onde

Use onde when you want to know a location or place where something happens or exists. Onde goes at the start of the question, often followed by a verb and subject.

Common examples:

Onde fica o banheiro?
Translation: Where is the bathroom?

Onde você estuda?
Translation: Where do you study?

Onde é a estação?
Translation: Where is the station?

For temporary events or actions, people also use a expressão aqui/ali/lá for proximity. Example:

Onde você está agora?
Translation: Where are you now?

Where with prepositions

When asking where in relation to something, include prepositions like em, de, para, entre, perto de, longe de.

Em que rua fica?
Translation: On which street is it located?

De onde você é?
Translation: Where are you from?

Para onde vamos?
Translation: Where are we going?

Entre onde e onde?
Translation: Between where and where?

Word order and pronoun placement

Beginner learners should remember that question words usually start the sentence and the subject follows the verb in normal spoken Brazilian Portuguese. Pronouns can appear before or after verbs depending on formality; beginners can safely use subject pronouns like eu, você, ele, ela to avoid mistakes.

Example subject-first style (very clear for beginners): Onde você trabalha? (Where do you work?)

Example verb-first style: Quem chamou você? (Who called you?)

Using question intonation

Brazilian Portuguese often uses rising intonation to mark questions, especially in spoken language. For yes/no questions, you can keep word order and simply raise your pitch at the end.

Você vai?
Translation: Are you going?

Short answers and question words in replies

When responding, you can repeat the question word in a reduced form or give a short phrase. For who, use ele/ela/eles/elas or a name. For what, use o nome, uma palavra, or a short explanation. For where, use here, there, or a place name.

Examples:

Quem trouxe o bolo? — Maria trouxe.
Translation: Who brought the cake? — Maria brought it.

O que é isso? — É um guarda-chuva.
Translation: What is this? — It’s an umbrella.

Onde está o ônibus? — Na parada.
Translation: Where is the bus? — At the stop.

Practical examples for everyday situations

Learning question patterns in context helps retention. Here are realistic beginner-level examples you can use in daily situations.

At a cafe:

O que tem no cardápio?
Translation: What is on the menu?

Onde é a saída?
Translation: Where is the exit?

Quem é o garçom?
Translation: Who is the waiter?

At a bus station:

Que ônibus vai para o centro?
Translation: Which bus goes to downtown?

Onde fica a bilheteria?
Translation: Where is the ticket office?

Quem vende passagem?
Translation: Who sells tickets?

At a store:

O que custa cem reais?
Translation: What costs one hundred reais?

Onde estão os provadores?
Translation: Where are the fitting rooms?

Quem pode me ajudar?
Translation: Who can help me?

Polite forms and softening questions

To be polite, add por favor or use poderia (could) before the verb. This is useful in customer service and formal contexts.

Onde fica o caixa, por favor?
Translation: Where is the cashier, please?

Poderia me dizer quem é o responsável?
Translation: Could you tell me who is responsible?

O que você recomenda?
Translation: What do you recommend?

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Many learners confuse que and o que, misuse prepositions, or forget to match plural forms. Here are practical tips to fix them.

Mixing que and o que: Use o que for neutral questions and que before verbs informally. When in doubt, use o que for clarity.

Missing prepositions: For questions that require a preposition in English like with or from, remember to include com or de in Portuguese: Com quem? De onde?

Plural agreement: If asking about multiple items, use quais instead of qual: Quais são os documentos? not Qual são os documentos?

Overly literal translation: Avoid translating word-by-word from English. Instead learn common Portuguese question patterns and mimic them.

Mini practice drills

Try converting statements into questions using the keywords. Practice aloud and write down your answers in short phrases.

Statement: Eu moro em São Paulo. → Question: Onde você mora?

Statement: Ela trabalha no banco. → Question: Onde ela trabalha?

Statement: Eles chamaram um táxi. → Question: Quem chamou um táxi?

Statement: Você tem água? → Question: O que você tem? (context-dependent: better ask O que tem na geladeira?)

Quick reference cheat sheet

quem — who (people)

o que / que — what (things, actions)

onde — where (place, location)

qual / quais — which (choice)

com quem — with whom

de onde — from where

para onde — to where

Conclusion

Mastering quem, o que/que, and onde gives you the tools to ask most basic information questions in Brazilian Portuguese. Use the sample sentences, practice the simple patterns, and apply the polite forms in real situations. With these building blocks you can order, ask for directions, and start real conversations with confidence.