14 Interrogative pronouns – Pronomes interrogativos
INTERROGATIVE WORDS – Pronomes Interrogativos
Portuguese interrogative words are essential for asking questions and seeking information. These interrogative words are crucial for constructing questions in Portuguese, and understanding their usage will help you communicate effectively in various situations. Here’s an explanation of each of them:
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Quem (Who):
- Usage: Used to inquire about a person’s identity.
- Example: Quem é o presidente? (Who is the president?)
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O que (What):
- Usage: Used to ask about things, actions, or ideas.
- Example: O que você está fazendo? (What are you doing?)
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Onde (Where):
- Usage: Used to ask about a location or place.
- Example: Onde fica a biblioteca? (Where is the library?)
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Quando (When):
- Usage: Used to inquire about the time or moment of an event.
- Example: Quando é o seu aniversário? (When is your birthday?)
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Por que (Why):
- Usage: Used to ask about the reason or cause.
- Example: Por que você está chorando? (Why are you crying?)
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Como (How):
- Usage: Used to ask about the way or manner something is done.
- Example: Como você chegou aqui? (How did you get here?)
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Quanto/a (How much/many):
- Usage: Used to ask about quantity or price.
- Example: Quanto custa este livro? (How much does this book cost?)
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Qual (Which):
- Usage: Used to inquire about a specific item or choice among others.
- Example: Qual é a sua cor favorita? (What is your favorite color?)
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Quais (Which ones):
- Usage: Plural form of “Qual,” used when asking about multiple items or choices.
- Example: Quais são os seus planos para o final de semana? (What are your plans for the weekend?)
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Key Takeaways
In Portuguese, “o que” and “qual” are both used to ask questions, but they are used in different contexts and have different meanings. In summary, “o que” is used for more general or open-ended questions, while “qual” is used for more specific questions where you are selecting from a set of options.
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“O que“: This is a more general question word and is used to ask about an undefined or unspecified thing or action. It can be translated to English as “what.”
- Example: “O que você está fazendo?” (What are you doing?)
- Example: “O que aconteceu?” (What happened?)
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“Qual“: This question word is more specific and is used when you are asking about a particular thing or choosing from a limited set of options. It can be translated to English as “which” or “what.”
- Example: “Qual é o seu nome?” (What is your name?) – Here, you are choosing from a set of possible names.
- Example: “Qual é a sua cor favorita?” (What is your favorite color?) – Again, you are selecting from a range of possible colors.
Exercises
Working with a classmate, take turns asking “O que é isso?” Make sure to include the indefinite articles “um,” “uma,” “uns” or “umas.”
- Example: O que é isso? É uma caneta.
