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How to Say ‘What are you drinking?’ in Portuguese

O que está a beber?

oh keh shtah ah beh-BEHR

[oh keh shtah ah beh-BEHR]

💬 Usage Tip: In Portugal, estar a + verb is how you say what someone is doing right now: está a ler "is reading". Brazilians say bebendo instead, which sounds foreign here.

Phrase Breakdown

O que está

oh keh shtah

What are you

'O que' means 'what' and is said as one word: 'oo-kuh'. 'Está' is the formal 'you are'.

Example

O que está a fazer?

What are you doing?

Words in this phrase

[oh]

what

Used to refer to a thing or things previously mentioned or easily identified.

Example

O que é isso?

What is this?

que

[keh]

what (a)

Used in exclamations to express emphasis.

Example

Que jogo!

What a game!

está

[shtah]

are (you, formal) / is

Form of 'estar' (to be, for states) used with 'você' or formal address, or for he/she/it.

Example

O senhor está cansado?

Are you tired, sir?

a beber?

ah beh-BEHR

drinking?

In Portugal, 'estar a' plus an infinitive means 'to be doing' something. 'Beber' sounds like 'buh-BEHR'.

Example

Estou a beber água.

I'm drinking water.

Words in this phrase

[ah]

(progressive marker)

In European Portuguese, 'estar a + infinitive' means doing something right now.

Example

Estou a comer.

I am eating.

beber

[beh-BEHR]

to drink

Infinitive verb meaning to drink.

Example

Vamos beber uma cerveja.

Let's drink a beer.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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