❓🤷

How to Say ‘What are you going to do?’ in Portuguese

O que vai fazer?

oh keh vye fa-ZEHR

[oh keh vye fa-ZEHR]

💬 Usage Tip: There's no word for "you" here: vai is the same form used for "he" or "she", and that's how polite "you" works in Portugal.

🇵🇹 In Portugal: New colleagues usually start with this polite form until someone offers to switch to the informal tu.

Phrase Breakdown

O que vai

oh keh vye

What are you going

'O que' means 'what'. 'Vai' is the formal 'you' form of 'ir' (to go). Say it smoothly: 'u-kə-VAI'.

Example

O que vai comer?

What are you going to eat?

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

Used with 'o' to form 'what' in questions.

Example

O que queres comer?

What do you want to eat?

vai

[vye]

is going to / will

Form of 'ir' used with an infinitive to talk about the future.

Example

Ela vai beber água.

She is going to drink water.

fazer?

fa-ZEHR

to do?

Infinitive of 'fazer' (to do/make). The first 'a' is reduced and the stress falls on the end: 'fə-ZER'. Use a rising tone for the question.

Example

Gosto de fazer bolos.

I like to make cakes.

Words in this phrase

fazer

[fa-ZEHR]

to do

To perform an action or task.

Example

Preciso fazer o trabalho.

I need to do the work.

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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