How to respond in Portuguese when someone asks if you finished your homework

Introduction

Learning how to answer a simple question like did you finish your homework teaches practical language, common verbs, and cultural politeness. This article shows English-speaking learners how to respond in Brazilian Portuguese when someone asks if you finished your homework, with useful phrases, polite variations, common mistakes, and natural short dialogues.

Why this question matters in Brazilian Portuguese

The question did you finish your homework appears often at school, in study groups, and among family. Knowing several ways to answer helps you sound natural and confident. It also reinforces verbs related to tasks, time expressions, and colloquial connectors used by Brazilians.

Key verbs and terms to know

Start by learning the verbs and nouns that appear most often in this context. The first time each Portuguese term appears it is bolded; later uses are in italics.

terminar (to finish) — common for tasks and projects. Use it with direct objects: terminar a tarefa.

fazer (to do/make) — often used for homework: fazer a lição or fazer o dever de casa.

lição (homework/lesson) — commonly used in school contexts.

dever de casa (homework) — a direct, everyday phrase.

pronto (ready/done) — short and useful when confirming completion.

How someone will ask if you finished your homework

Here are common ways a teacher, friend, or parent might ask whether you finished your homework. Notice the differences in tone and formality.

Professor: Você já terminou a lição?

Friend: Já fez a tarefa?

Parent: A lição está pronta?

Study partner: Você terminou o dever de casa?

Usage notes

Você is the standard informal/formal you in Brazil; professores often use it with students. Já means already and appears in many questions to ask whether something is done yet. Notice inversion is not required; Brazilians frequently place já before the verb.

Simple affirmative responses

These short answers work in casual situations when you just want to say yes.

Sim, já terminei.

Sim, terminei a lição.

Pronto, já fiz a tarefa.

Use já with past participles to indicate completion. If you want to specify when you finished, add a time expression: Já terminei, agora há pouco.

Polite or formal affirmative responses

With teachers or in formal settings choose slightly longer, polite forms.

Sim, eu terminei a lição. Está tudo pronto.

Terminei, professora. Posso entregar?

Using the subject pronoun eu emphasizes formality; adding a question like Posso entregar shows respect and readiness to proceed.

Simple negative responses

When you have not finished, use these straightforward phrases.

Ainda não terminei.

Não, ainda não fiz a tarefa.

Não está pronta.

ainda means still or not yet and is very common in negative answers. Use it before the verb for natural emphasis.

Explanations for being late or incomplete

If you need to explain why you did not finish, use short clauses to keep it natural.

Ainda não terminei, tive um compromisso.

Não fiz a tarefa porque estava doente ontem.

Não ficou pronta, estou esperando o material do colega.

Common connectors: porque (because), porque não deu tempo (because I didn’t have time), and ontem (yesterday) for time references.

Responses with partial completion

When you finished part of the homework, these phrases communicate that clearly.

Terminei a primeira parte, falta a segunda.

Fiz algumas questões, ainda preciso revisar o resto.

Já comecei, mas não terminei tudo.

Use expressions like falta (is missing/left) and algumas questões (some questions) to indicate which part remains.

Politeness when asking for more time

If you need extra time, pair the partial completion with a polite request.

Ainda não terminei tudo. Posso entregar amanhã?

Terminei a maior parte. Pode me dar até depois da aula?

This shows responsibility while asking for accommodation in a respectful way.

Casual everyday replies used by students

Brazilians often use short, colloquial replies with friends. These sound natural in casual conversation.

Fiz sim.

Tá pronto.

Quase, só falta uma questão.

Note the use of the contraction tá (short for está) which is extremely common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Examples of short dialogues

Friend: Já fez a tarefa?
You: Fiz sim, e você?

Teacher: Você terminou a lição?
You: Ainda não terminei, professora. Posso entregar amanhã?

Parent: A lição está pronta?
You: Pronto, mãe. Posso estudar agora?

Using different tenses and moods

Sometimes nuance matters. Here are useful forms beyond simple past, with explanations.

Present perfect sense: Já terminei — indicates completion now.

Simple past sense: Terminei ontem — states when you finished.

Future/conditional: Vou terminar hoje à noite / Eu terminaria, mas…

Subjunctive for polite uncertainty: Se eu terminar, eu te aviso — If I finish, I’ll let you know.

Usage notes

The most common natural reply for completion is já terminei. When you specify time, use prepositions like ontem, hoje à noite, agora há pouco, amanhã. To express intention add vou (I will) + infinitive.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Beginners often mix European Portuguese forms or misplace já. Here are pitfalls to watch for.

Incorrect: Terminei já a tarefa. (This order is unusual in Brazilian Portuguese.)
Correct: Já terminei a tarefa.

Incorrect: Eu fiz o dever ontem eu. (Redundant pronoun at the end.)
Correct: Eu fiz o dever ontem.

Avoid literal translations from English like I have finished = Eu tenho terminado; instead prefer Já terminei for natural speech.

Adding natural fillers and polite markers

Brazilians use small words that sound natural and friendly. These are useful in conversation.

Claro — of course. Example: Claro, já terminei.

Beleza — cool/okay. Example: Beleza, terminei.

Então — then/so. Example: Então, ainda não terminei.

These words add tone and help you sound fluent, but avoid overusing them in formal settings.

How to correct yourself politely

If you realize you made a mistake about finishing, use these phrases to correct or clarify.

Na verdade, não terminei. Desculpa.

Perdão, eu confundi. Ainda falta uma parte.

Na verdade is a gentle way to introduce a correction, and desculpa or perdão shows politeness.

Regional and colloquial variations

Brazil is large and expressions vary. Here are common regional alternatives you might hear.

Fiz a tarefa — widely understood everywhere.

Terminei a lição — standard and slightly more formal.

Tô com a lição pronta — very colloquial, using the contraction tô for estou.

Note that colloquial contractions like tô and tá are popular in spoken language but should be avoided in formal writing.

Putting it all together: full example conversations

Conversation with teacher:
Professor: Você já terminou a lição?
You: Já terminei, professor. Posso entregar agora?

Conversation with a friend:
Friend: E aí, já fez a tarefa?
You: Quase, fiz as questões 1 a 5. Falta a parte de leitura.

Conversation with a parent:
Parent: A lição está pronta?
You: Pronto sim. Já organizei tudo na mochila.

These examples show tone adjustments: more polite with the professor, casual with a friend, and practical with a parent.

Quick cheat sheet: short responses to memorize

Positive: Já terminei / Sim, terminei / Pronto

Negative: Ainda não terminei / Não, ainda não

Partial: Quase / Terminei a primeira parte / Falta a segunda

Request more time: Posso entregar amanhã? / Dá para eu terminar depois?

Tips for practicing these phrases

Practice in realistic contexts: pretend you speak to a teacher, friend, and parent. Record yourself to check pronunciation and natural rhythm. Focus on using já and ainda correctly; these words change the meaning significantly. Pair phrases with gestures and intonation—Brazilians rely on expressive speech to convey nuance.

Extra vocabulary to expand your replies

tarefas extras (extra assignments)
entregar (to hand in/submit)
revisar (to review)
colaborador/colega (classmate/partner)
prazo (deadline)

Knowing verbs like entregar and revisar helps when you need to negotiate a deadline or describe the state of your work.

Conclusion

Answering did you finish your homework in Brazilian Portuguese is an opportunity to practice verbs like terminar and fazer, time words like já and ainda, and polite expressions for different social situations. Learn a few quick replies, a couple of polite requests, and natural fillers to sound fluent and confident. Use the sample dialogues to role-play with friends and gradually incorporate colloquial contractions when you feel comfortable.