Portuguese 1.8. Interrogative Pronouns & Adjectives

Level I 1. Alphabet & Pronunciation 1.1. Vowels 2. Similarities to English 2.1. Capitalization 2.2. Negation 2.3. Punctuation & Written Accents 3. Gender & Plural 4. Cardinal Numbers 5. Subject Personal Pronouns 6. Present Indicative Tense I 7. The Articles 8. Interrogative Pronouns & Adjectives 9. Basic Phrases Level II 1. Prepositions 2. Present Indicative Tense II – Irregular Verbs 3. The Verb “To Be”: “Ser” vs. “Estar” 4. Future Tense 5. Possessive Adjectives & Pronouns 6. Demonstrative Adjectives & Pronouns 7. Object Personal Pronouns 8. Relative Pronouns 9. Ordinal Numbers I 10. Times & Seasons Level III 1. “Por” vs. “Para” 2. The Verb “To Know”: “Saber” vs. “Conhecer” 3. Indefinite Adjectives & Pronouns 4. Present Progressive Tense 5. Present Perfect Tense 6. Special Uses of “Haver” & “Ter” 7. Telling Time & Describing Weather 8. Adverbs 9. Directions Level IV 1. Degrees of Comparison: Comparatives & Superlatives 2. Past Tense: Preterite vs. Imperfect 3. Conjunctions 4. Reflexive Pronouns & Verbs 5. Time Expressions: Ainda, Já, Acabar, and Desde 6. Present Subjunctive Tense 7. Future Perfect Tense Level V 1. Imperative Mood & Giving Commands 2. Simple Conditional Tense 3. Future Subjunctive Tense 4. Perfect Subjunctive Tense 5. Imperfect Subjunctive Tense 6. Past & Conditional Progressive Tenses 7. Interjections Level VI 1. Ordinal Numbers II 2. “Would/Should/Could Have …” 3. Pluperfect Indicative Tense 4. Pluperfect Subjunctive Tense 5.”Although” & “Despite” 6. Passive Voice & Impersonal “Se” 7. Diminutives & Augmentatives
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In this lesson, we will study interrogative pronouns and adjectives in Portuguese. Interrogative pronouns and adjectives are the tools we use to ask questions in Portuguese.

If the interrogative is followed by a noun, it becomes an interrogative adjective, e.g., “Que livro você gosta de ler?(What book do you like to read?). In this case, the interrogative “que” is considered an interrogative adjective. If the noun is dropped, “que” becomes an interrogative pronoun, e.g., “O que você gosta de ler?(What do you like to read?).

InterrogativeMeaningExamples
O que?What?O que você está fazendo?
What are you doing?
Quem?Who/Whom?Quem fez isto?
Who did this?
De quem?Whose?De quem é esse livro?
Whose book is this?
Qual? Quais?Which?Qual é o seu carro?
Which one is your car?
Quanto/-a(s)?How much?
How many?
Quanto custaeste casaco?
How much does this coat cost?
Quando?When?Quando você quer vir?
When do you want to come?
Onde?Where?Onde você esteve?
Where have you been?
Como?How?Como fez isso?
How did you do that?
Por que?
Para que?
Why?Por que você foi lá?
Why did you go there?

Por que?” vs. “Porque

pronoun “por que?” means “Why?”

If written without the space, i.e., “porque,” it means “because.

Por que?” vs. “Para que?

Both por que?” and “para que?” are often translated as “Why?” However, there is a subtle difference.

Whereas “por que?” enquires about the reason, “para que?” enquires about the purpose and can be better translated as “What for?”, e.g., “Para que você precisa disso?(What do you need this for?).

Plural Forms of “Cuál” and “Quién

Finally, notice that the interrogative “qual” has the plural form “quais,” whereas “quanto” has four forms depending on gender and number: “quanto,” “quanta,” “quantos,” and “quantas.”

Next: Basic Phrases

Back to: Portuguese Lessons

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