How to Say ‘It Depends’ in Portuguese: Depende de — 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 depende as a short answer
When someone asks a question with no single answer, depende is a natural reply: ‘it depends.’ The verb is commonly used without an expressed subject in Brazilian Portuguese.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você vai de carro? Depende. | Are you going by car? It depends. |
| É difícil? Depende do assunto. | Is it difficult? It depends on the subject. |
Add de to name the factor
Use depende de before the thing that affects the outcome. Before a noun, combine de with the article when needed: de + o becomes do and de + a becomes da.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O preço depende da estação. | The price depends on the season. |
| A gente decide dependendo do clima. | We’ll decide depending on the weather. |
Give the listener a useful condition
A helpful answer often explains what the choice depends on. Depending on the sentence, use depende se… (it depends on whether…) or depende de quando… (it depends on when…).
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Depende se o voo chega no horário. | It depends on whether the flight arrives on time. |
| Depende de quando você sair. | It depends on when you leave. |
Remember: Say depende for ‘it depends’ and depende de before the factor that changes the answer.
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.
Are you going by car? It depends.
Show a Portuguese answer
Você vai de carro? Depende.
Is it difficult? It depends on the subject.
Show a Portuguese answer
É difícil? Depende do assunto.
The price depends on the season.
Show a Portuguese answer
O preço depende da estação.
We’ll decide depending on the weather.
Show a Portuguese answer
A gente decide dependendo do clima.
It depends on whether the flight arrives on time.
Show a Portuguese answer
Depende se o voo chega no horário.
It depends on when you leave.
Show a Portuguese answer
Depende de quando você sair.
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.
Say depende for ‘it depends’ and depende de before the factor that changes the answer.
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 How to Say ‘It Depends’ in Portuguese: Depende de 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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