Cadê vs. Onde Está? Ask ‘Where Is It?’ in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use cadê for a quick, informal ‘where is…?’
Cadê? is a conversational Brazilian Portuguese question meaning ‘where is it?’ or ‘where are they?’ It is especially common when you are looking for a person or thing. Put the noun after it: cadê meu celular? (where’s my phone?).
Cadê is a fixed question word. It does not change to match a plural noun, and it is not normally followed by a verb: cadê as chaves? is natural even though chaves is plural.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Cadê o meu café? | Where’s my coffee? |
| Cadê vocês? | Where are you all? |
| Você sabe cadê a estação? | Do you know where the station is? |
Use onde está for a complete, neutral question
Onde está? is the full pattern ‘where is?’ Use onde estão? for plural subjects. The verb agrees with the person or object: onde está o banheiro? but onde estão meus óculos? In everyday speech, Brazilians often reduce está to tá.
Onde fica? commonly asks where a place is located; cadê? sounds more like looking for it. The distinction is flexible in casual conversation, so context and tone help.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Onde está a minha reserva? | Where is my reservation? |
| Onde estão as saídas? | Where are the exits? |
| Onde fica a farmácia mais próxima? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
Remember: Use cadê for a short, informal search question. Use onde está/estão for the full verb pattern, and onde fica for the location of a place.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Where’s my coffee?
Show a Portuguese answer
Cadê o meu café?
Where are you all?
Show a Portuguese answer
Cadê vocês?
Do you know where the station is?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você sabe cadê a estação?
Where is my reservation?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde está a minha reserva?
Where are the exits?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde estão as saídas?
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde fica a farmácia mais próxima?
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use cadê for a short, informal search question. Use onde está/estão for the full verb pattern, and onde fica for the location of a place.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Cadê vs. Onde Está? Ask ‘Where Is It?’ in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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