How to say “What are your plans now?” in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning how to ask about someone’s plans is a practical skill for everyday conversations in Brazilian Portuguese. This article teaches you natural ways to say What are your plans now? plus replies, vocabulary, common mistakes, and short dialogues for beginners.

Core phrase: How to ask What are your plans now? in Brazilian Portuguese

The most direct and commonly used phrase to ask What are your plans now? in Brazilian Portuguese is O que você vai fazer agora?

Breakdown of the phrase:

O que = what

você = you (formal/informal neutral in Brazil)

vai fazer = are going to do / will do

agora = now

Other natural ways to ask the same question

Here are several alternative beginner-friendly phrases. Each has slightly different nuance but all work in casual spoken Brazilian Portuguese:

O que você vai fazer agora?

Quais são seus planos agora? (more formal or polite)

O que vai fazer agora? (drop você for very informal speech)

O que você vai fazer mais tarde? (asks about later plans instead of immediate now)

Tem planos para agora? (shorter, casual: Do you have plans now?)

When to use each phrase

For beginners, choose based on formality and timing. Use O que você vai fazer agora? in most everyday situations: asking friends, family, classmates, or colleagues in casual conversation.

Use Quais são seus planos agora? when you want a slightly more formal or polite tone, for example with someone you do not know well.

Use Tem planos para agora? for quick checks, like when you want to invite someone to join you right away.

Key vocabulary and short explanations

você — you (subject pronoun; common in Brazil)

o que — what

vai — are going to / will (from verb ir, to go; used as future with verb fazer)

fazer — to do / to make

agora — now

mais tarde — later

plano(s) — plan(s)

encontrar — to meet

sair — to go out

trabalhar — to work

Simple example sentences and translations

O que você vai fazer agora?
What are you going to do now?

Eu vou almoçar.
I’m going to have lunch.

Tenho que trabalhar agora.
I have to work now.

Não tenho planos, quer sair comigo?
I don’t have plans, want to go out with me?

Mais tarde vou estudar para a prova.
Later I’m going to study for the test.

Short beginner-friendly dialogues

Dialogue 1 — friend asking about immediate plans

— O que você vai fazer agora?
— Vou para a cozinha pegar um lanche.

Translation: — What are you going to do now? — I’m going to the kitchen to grab a snack.

Dialogue 2 — casual invitation

— Tem planos para agora?
— Não, estou livre. Quer ir ao cinema?

Translation: — Do you have plans now? — No, I’m free. Want to go to the movies?

Dialogue 3 — work context

— Quais são seus planos agora?
— Preciso terminar esse relatório e depois vou sair.

Translation: — What are your plans now? — I need to finish this report and then I’ll go out.

Natural replies you can use

Vou trabalhar. — I’m going to work.

Vou almoçar. — I’m going to have lunch.

Vou estudar. — I’m going to study.

Não sei ainda. — I don’t know yet.

Estou livre. — I’m free.

Tenho que sair agora. — I have to leave now.

Practical contexts: where you’ll use these phrases

Conversations with friends: ask before inviting someone to hang out or to check availability.

Text messages and chat apps: quick questions like Tem planos para agora? are common.

At work or school: use Quais são seus planos agora? for slightly more formal check-ins about next steps.

Transportation or services: ask staff about schedule changes or timing; for example, asking a delivery person what they will do next using O que você vai fazer agora? is possible but often you’ll use more specific verbs like chegar or sair.

Beginner tips to sound natural

Use você for most people. It is neutral and widely used in Brazil.

Use contractions in spoken Portuguese: people often say o que cê vai fazer agora? in very casual speech, but beginners should stick to full forms like O que você vai fazer agora?

Pay attention to intonation: rising tone at the end makes it a question in spoken Portuguese.

Practice common replies so you can respond quickly: memorize short answers like Vou almoçar or Estou livre.

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake: Using tú instead of você in Brazil. While tú exists in some regions, você is safest for beginners unless you know the regional usage.

Mistake: Literal translation from English like Que são seus planos agora. Preferred natural phrasing is Quais são seus planos agora?

Mistake: Forgetting verb agreement or using the infinitive without an auxiliary. Instead of saying Eu fazer agora, say Vou fazer agora or Vou estudar agora.

Pronunciation tips

Pronounce você as vo-SEH with stress on the second syllable.

O que sounds like oo keh or oh keh; in fast speech it becomes closer to keh.

Vai fazer sounds like vai fah-ZEHR; the r in fazer is pronounced like an English r in many Brazilian accents, or slightly softer in others.

Agora is pronounced ah-GOH-rah, with a soft final a.

Mini practice scenarios to try

Scenario 1: At a café you run into a friend. Ask O que você vai fazer agora? and listen to the reply. Practice with a simple response like Vou trabalhar or Vou passear.

Scenario 2: Message a classmate before a study session: Tem planos para agora? Podemos estudar juntos? This uses the phrase to coordinate immediate plans.

Scenario 3: Call a family member and ask about their immediate plans: Quais são seus planos agora? Use a polite tone.

Useful related verbs and phrases

ir — to go

fazer — to do

sair — to go out

chegar — to arrive

voltar — to return

estar livre — to be free

ter que — to have to (obligation, e.g., Tenho que trabalhar)

Short recap with examples

Main question: O que você vai fazer agora?

Casual check: Tem planos para agora?

Formal/polite: Quais são seus planos agora?

Quick replies: Vou almoçar, Tenho que trabalhar, Estou livre.

Conclusion

Asking What are your plans now? in Brazilian Portuguese is straightforward and useful in many real-life situations. Start with O que você vai fazer agora?, learn a few alternative expressions like Tem planos para agora? and Quais são seus planos agora?, and practice common replies. With these simple phrases and tips, you will feel more confident checking plans, making invitations, and joining conversations in Brazilian Portuguese.