Language/Indo-portuguese/Grammar/Questions

Indo-Portuguese Grammar - Questions

Hi Indo-Portuguese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to ask questions in Indo-Portuguese. Understanding how to ask questions is critical to becoming fluent in this beautiful language. Questions help you gain information, clarify understanding, and express curiosity.

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Conditional Mood, Adjectives, Future Tense & Gender.

Basic Vocabulary

Before we dive into the grammar, let's learn some essential vocabulary.

English	Indo-Portuguese	Pronunciation
Question	Questão	kɛʃ'tɐ̃w
Word	Palavra	pɐ'lawɾɐ
Sentence	Frase	'fɾazɨ
How	Como	'komu
What	O que	u 'ki
Who	Quem	kɛ̃
Where	Onde	'ondɨ
When	Quando	'kwɐ̃du
Why	Por que	puɾ'ki

Basic Sentence Structure

In basic Indo-Portuguese, the order of sentences is subject-verb-object (SVO). However, when asking a question, the word order changes to use subject-auxiliary-verb-object (SAVO). In questions that start with a question word (such as what, who, where), the order is usually question word-auxiliary-verb-subject-object (QAVSO).

Let's illustrate these concepts with some examples:

English	Basic SVO Sentence	Basic Question (SAVO)	Question with Question Word (QAVSO)
He eats fruit.	Ele come fruta.	Ele come fruta?	O que ele come?
She speaks Portuguese.	Ela fala português.	Ela fala português?	Quem fala português?
You go to the beach.	Você vai à praia.	Você vai à praia?	Onde você vai?
They study at the library.	Eles estudam na biblioteca.	Eles estudam na biblioteca?	Onde eles estudam?

In Indo-Portuguese, the rising intonation at the end of a sentence indicates a question. For example:

• Ele come fruta? (Does he eat fruit?)

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are an essential part of asking questions in Indo-Portuguese. They include words such as "what," "who," "where," and "why." These pronouns help you ask more specific questions and gain information.

Here are some common interrogative pronouns in Indo-Portuguese:

English	Indo-Portuguese	Pronunciation
What	O que	u 'ki
Who	Quem	kɛ̃
Where	Onde	'ondɨ
Why	Por que	puɾ'ki

Using Interrogative pronouns is simple, just place them at the beginning of a sentence, followed by an auxiliary verb and the subject.

Let's see this in context:

• Person 1: O que você faz? (What do you do?)
• Person 2: Eu sou um professor. (I am a professor)

Interrogative Adverbs

Another way to ask questions in Indo-Portuguese is by using interrogative adverbs like "when," "where," and "how." These adverbs provide more specific information about the question and its intended meaning.

Here are some common interrogative adverbs in Indo-Portuguese:

English	Indo-Portuguese	Pronunciation
When	Quando	'kwɐ̃du
Where	Onde	'ondɨ
How	Como	'komu

Using interrogative adverbs is easy. Begin with the interrogative adverb, then the auxiliary verb, followed by the subject and the main verb.

For example:

• Person 1: Onde você mora? (Where do you live?)
• Person 2: Eu moro em São Paulo. (I live in São Paulo.)

Indirect Questions

Indirect questions are questions that are embedded in a sentence, and they usually appear in the form of phrases. They frequently use verbs like "saber," "perguntar," and "entender" and are common in everyday conversation.

Here are some examples of indirect questions:

• Eu não sei onde ela está. (I don't know where she is.)
• Ele perguntou quando a reunião começa. (He asked when the meeting starts.)
• Você entende como isso funciona? (Do you understand how this works?)

Using indirect questions in Portuguese reinforces the sense of closeness with the other person and demonstrates sensitivity and respect for their feelings, especially when the issue may be personal or sensitive.

Exercises

Now that you have learned how to ask questions in Portuguese, let's practice. Try to respond to these questions and create your sentences.

1. Como você está? 2. Quem é seu melhor amigo? 3. Onde você comprou esse livro? 4. Quando você vai para casa? 5. Por que você não pode ir?

Additional Resources

If you want to improve your Indo-Portuguese Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

You can also visit the Portuguese language and Creole Wikipedia pages to learn more about this beautiful language.

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Gender
• Give your Opinion
• Adjectives
• How to Use Have
• Negation
• Plurals
• How to Use Be
• Pronouns
• Conditional Mood

Sources

• The Indo-Portuguese creoles of the Malabar: historical cues and ...

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