Questions

Portuguese Lesson 9 (Questions and Misunderstanding)

Duration: 30 mins

This 9th lesson teaches an important aspect in Portuguese which is the interrogative form also called questions. In addition, there is a list of vocabulary terms about misunderstanding and finally some commonly used phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Portuguese Classes.

Questions

Being able to ask questions is what makes us curious beings, which in turns broadens our knowledge. It is no different when it comes to learning Portuguese. You will always be asking questions, and the following are some tools to help you in that quest.

The following are the 5 Ws + "how" commonly used adverbs to express the interrogative form. Most likely, whenever a question needs to be asked, one of them should be used. The table contains 3 columns (English, Portuguese, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.

Interrogative Form in Portuguese

Questions Portuguese Audio
How?como?
What?o quê?
When?quando?
Where?Onde?
Who?quem?
Why?porquê?

Now we will try to implement the adverbs above into full Portuguese sentences. That way you will be able to use the word not only by itself but embedded in a structure.

Portuguese Questions in a Sentence

Can I come?Posso ir?
Can I help you?Posso ajudar-te?
Can you help me?Podes ajudar-me?
Do you know her?Conhece-la?
Do you speak English?Falas inglês?
How difficult is it?Quão difícil é?
How far is this?Quão longe é isto?
How much is this?Quanto custa isto?
How would you like to pay?Como gostarias de pagar?
What is this called?Como é que isto se chama?
What is your name?Como te chamas?
What time is it?Que horas são?
When can we meet?Quando nos podemos encontrar?
Where do you live?Onde moras?
Who is knocking at the door?Quem é que está a bater à porta?
Why is it expensive?Por que é que é caro?

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact me If you simply want to ask a question, please Portuguese contact form on the header above.

Vocabulary List about Misunderstanding

There are times when you will not understand what a person said in Portuguese, or simply that you want them to repeat a word. The following are 24 expressions used to clear misunderstandings. Very essential to any conversation!

Misunderstanding in Portuguese

Misunderstanding Portuguese Audio
Can you repeat?Pode repetir?
Can you speak slowly?Pode falar mais devagar?
Did you understand what I said?Entendeu o que eu disse? (formal) / Percebeste / entendeste o que eu disse? (informal)
Don't worry!Não se preocupe (formal) / Não te preocupes (informal PT)
Excuse me? (i.e. I beg your pardon?)Desculpe? (formal) / Desculpa? / O quê? (informal)
How do you say "OK" in French?Como se diz ""OK"" em francês?
I don't know!Não sei!
I don't understand!Não compreendo! / Não percebo.
I need to practice my FrenchPreciso de praticar / treinar o meu francês
Is that right?Está bem / certo / correto?
Is that wrong?Está mal / errado?
MistakeErro
My French is badSou mau / má a francês / Falo mal francês
No problem!De nada!
QuicklyDepressa
SlowlyDevagar
Sorry (to apologize)Desculpe (formal) / Desculpa (informal)
To speakFalar
What does that word mean in English?O que significa aquela palavra em inglês?
What is this?O que é isto?
What should I say?O que devo eu dizer?
What?O quê?
What's that called in French?Como se chama isso em francês?
Write it down please!Por escrito, por favor! / Escreva-o, por favor!

Daily Conversation in Portuguese

Finally, a list of some common phrases that you might come across from time to time. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Portuguese Phrases page. Enjoy!

Common Expressions in Portuguese

English Portuguese Audio
Thisisto
ThatAquilo
HereAqui
ThereAli
In The MorningDe manhã
In the eveningDe noite.
At NightÀ noite
Really!A sério!
Look!Olha!
Hurry up!Despacha-te!

Fun Facts

Language Quote: The oldest written language was believed to be written in about 4500 BC.

Congratulations! You finished your 9th lesson in Portuguese about questions, and misunderstanding. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Portuguese Lesson 10. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Portuguese homepage.