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How to Say ‘And what is your weakness?’ in Portuguese

E qual é o seu ponto fraco?

ee kwahl eh oo say-oo POHN-too FRA-koo

[ee kwahl eh oo say-oo POHN-too FRA-koo]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: This is a standard interview question in Portugal. Name a modest, real weakness and say how you manage it. Claiming you have none comes across badly.

Phrase Breakdown

E qual é

ee kwahl eh

And what is

'Qual' (which/what) is used before 'é' when asking to identify something. The final 'l' is dark, like in 'call'.

Example

E qual é o seu nome?

And what is your name?

Words in this phrase

[ee]

and

A simple connector joining two qualities or ideas.

Example

Procuro um ambiente aberto e humano.

I am looking for an open and human environment.

qual

[kwahl]

what / which

Question word; used before 'é' to ask 'what is' about a specific property.

Example

Qual é o teu nome?

What is your name?

[eh]

Form of the verb 'ser' used to identify or state something.

Example

É meu interesse conhecer melhor a empresa.

It is my interest to get to know the company better.

o seu ponto fraco?

oo say-oo POHN-too FRA-koo

your weak point?

This is a common job-interview question. Raise your intonation at the end.

Example

O chocolate é o seu ponto fraco?

Is chocolate your weak spot?

Words in this phrase

[oo]

the

A masculine singular definite article used before nouns.

Example

O prazer de participar foi grande.

The pleasure of taking part was great.

seu

[say-oo]

your

A possessive adjective referring to the other person's time or attention.

Example

A palavra «seu» mostra que o tempo pertence ao destinatário.

The word “your” shows that the time belongs to the recipient.

ponto

[POHN-too]

point / item

An item on an agenda.

Example

O primeiro ponto é o orçamento.

The first item is the budget.

fraco

[FRA-koo]

weak

Adjective meaning weak; 'ponto fraco' is a weakness.

Example

O café está fraco.

The coffee is weak.

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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