What Does ‘O Que É Que’ Do in Portuguese Questions — 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.
Treat o que é que as a question frame
Brazilian speakers use o que é que…? to introduce a question such as ‘what are you doing?’ The phrase makes the question sound conversational and can add focus to what follows.
You can usually ask the same question with a shorter pattern. O que você está fazendo? and O que é que você está fazendo? both ask what someone is doing; the second has a fuller spoken frame.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O que é que você quer fazer hoje? | What do you want to do today? |
| O que é que aconteceu? | What happened? |
| O que você está procurando? | What are you looking for? |
Recognize the informal shortened version
In casual speech, you may hear o que que…? The repeated que is a common spoken shape, but formal writing usually favors o que…? or o que é que…?.
Listen for the entire question rather than trying to translate each small word separately. If you are speaking as a beginner, the simple o que…? form is clear and widely useful.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O que que você pediu? | What did you order? (informal spoken form) |
| O que é que tem para fazer por aqui? | What is there to do around here? |
| O que você acha dessa ideia? | What do you think of this idea? |
Remember: Use o que…? as a simple question and recognize o que é que…? as a common conversational frame. Treat o que que…? as informal speech.
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.
What do you want to do today?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que é que você quer fazer hoje?
What happened?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que é que aconteceu?
What are you looking for?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que você está procurando?
What did you order? (informal spoken form)
Show a Portuguese answer
O que que você pediu?
What is there to do around here?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que é que tem para fazer por aqui?
What do you think of this idea?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que você acha dessa ideia?
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 o que…? as a simple question and recognize o que é que…? as a common conversational frame. Treat o que que…? as informal speech.
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 What Does ‘O Que É Que’ Do in Portuguese Questions? 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.
Browse all learning guides
