Understanding Portuguese Word Order in Questions
In Portuguese, just like in English, we can ask questions to find out more information about something. To do this, we need to know how to put the words in the right order. Let's learn how to make questions in Portuguese!
These questions can be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no'. In Portuguese, you often use the same word order as a statement but with a rising intonation. Sometimes, you can also add 'não' at the end to confirm.
Examples
- Você gosta de sorvete?
- Ela está em casa?
- Nós vamos ao parque, não?
Wh- Questions (Questions with Question Words)
These questions start with a question word like 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', or 'how'. In Portuguese, these words are 'quem', 'o que', 'onde', 'quando', 'por que', and 'como'. The question word usually comes at the beginning of the question.
Examples
- Quem está na porta?
- O que você está fazendo?
- Onde você mora?
Sometimes, especially in more formal writing or speech, Portuguese questions can invert the subject and the verb, similar to English. This means the verb comes before the subject.
Examples
- Está ela feliz?
- Vão eles ao cinema?
'Que' and 'qual' can both mean 'what' or 'which', but they are used differently. 'Que' is used for definitions or explanations, and 'qual' is used for choices or selections.
Examples
- Que dia é hoje?
- Qual é o seu nome?
These are questions that are part of a larger sentence. The word order in indirect questions doesn’t change like it does in direct questions.
Examples
- Eu quero saber onde você mora.
- Ela perguntou se você virá.
Important Points
- Yes/No questions can include 'não' for confirmation.
- Wh- questions start with a question word.
- Inversion is used in formal contexts.
- 'Que' is for definitions, 'qual' is for choices.
- Indirect questions keep the regular word order.