Portuguese question words: useful questions for A2

Short answer: identify what is missing

Before forming a question, identify the gap: person, thing, place, time, manner or quantity. This prevents you from always using onde simply because you remember it first. “Onde começa o curso?” and “Quando começa o curso?” can both make sense, but request different answers. One asks for a location and the other for a time.

The table helps you recognise these functions rather than covering every possible interrogative construction. Read the situation first and choose the expression afterwards. If you know the location but need a time, asking where again will not resolve the problem. Practise with invented details so you can change the missing information without memorising an entire exchange word for word.

Quem, o que and qual: person, activity or choice

“Quem dá a aula?” asks for a person: “A professora Ana.” “O que vamos fazer?” asks for an activity: “Vamos ler um texto.” You may add é que: “Quem é que dá a aula?” The requested information remains the same in these examples. Extra words are not necessary just to make a question sound more advanced; clarity is the goal.

For a choice, try “Qual é a sala?” or “Qual destes horários prefere?” Qual also occurs in identification questions; it does not only mean choosing between two visible options. Write down two times for this exercise to make the distinction concrete. Answer with the information requested rather than repeating every detail you know about the situation.

Onde, de onde and para onde: place, origin and destination

“Onde mora?” asks where someone lives. “De onde vem?” can ask where they are coming from in the conversation. “Para onde vai?” asks where they are going. The preposition changes the relationship to the place; removing de or para can change what is understood. Practise all three questions using a small route drawn on paper.

In the fictional dialogue, the person is at the library, came from home and is going to school. All three answers name places but are not interchangeable. Match each answer to its question before increasing your speaking speed. If residence feels too personal in a real conversation, choose a different location example to continue the language exercise.

Quando, a que horas, como and quanto

Quando can ask for a day, month or another time reference; “A que horas começa?” specifically asks for the clock time. “Como vai para a escola?” asks about transport here, whereas “Como está?” serves a different function. Context guides the meaning. Do not translate isolated words without considering what the speaker is trying to discover in that situation.

Quanto varies in some constructions: “Quanto custa?”, “Quantos bilhetes quer?” and “Quantas aulas tem?” In the last two examples, its form agrees with the noun. Separate price from quantity: “Custa doze euros” does not answer “Quantos bilhetes quer?” Use invented numbers and explain what each measures before recording it as the final answer.

• Practise Portuguese times and quantities

Exercises with answers: form the question

Imagine these answers: “A professora Ana”, “Na sala três”, “Às dez” and “Dois bilhetes”. Possible questions are “Quem dá a aula?”, “Onde é a aula?”, “A que horas começa?” and “Quantos bilhetes quer?” Other suitable questions are possible. The expected answer depends on context; a person’s name alone does not reveal the entire conversation that led to it.

Now correct this: someone needs the price but asks “Quando custa?” Use “Quanto custa?” instead. If you need the lesson day, “Quando é a aula?” works; if you need the precise time, ask “A que horas é a aula?” Explain the correction by its function rather than memorising a string of words without understanding its purpose.

Turn the list into a dialogue and continue practising

Write a card with a fictional person, room, day, time and price. Your partner sees only two details and asks questions to obtain the rest. Swap roles and change the information. The activity ends when the information is understood and confirmed, not when every word in the table has been used. Start with short questions and add courtesy where appropriate.

Use the clarification guide when an answer is unclear and the numbers guide to check times and quantities. Continue with the A2 learning path. CEFR and Camões support the educational framework; these questions and solutions are editorial material. They are not an official examination inventory and do not establish that you have mastered all the skills at A2.

• Ask for clarification when an answer is unclear

Sources and scope of this guide

Official sources support the stated legal, language and certification facts. Plans, examples and checklists are independent editorial suggestions, not instructions from an authority.

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