Onde vs. Aonde: Ask ‘Where?’ and ‘Where To?’ in 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 onde for a place or location
Onde means ‘where’ when you ask about a location: onde fica a estação? (where is the station?). It also connects a noun to a place clause: o café onde nos encontramos (the café where we meet). The question asks where something is or where an event happens, not which direction someone is traveling.
In conversation, onde você está? is a direct way to ask where someone is. When the answer is a location, a preposition such as em may appear: estou no trabalho, estou em casa.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Onde fica a entrada do museu? | Where is the museum entrance? |
| Você sabe onde eles moram? | Do you know where they live? |
| Este é o lugar onde a gente se conheceu. | This is the place where we met. |
Use aonde when the verb calls for a destination with a
Aonde combines a + onde. It fits a destination when the verb or phrase uses the preposition a: aonde você vai? (where are you going?). In everyday Brazilian speech, aonde você vai? is common, while many speakers also use onde in the same question.
Choose aonde when the direction or destination is the focus and the verb pattern supports a. For other movement verbs, follow their usual preposition: para onde vamos? is also natural for ‘where are we going?’ Learn the whole verb-plus-preposition pattern instead of treating every movement as aonde.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Aonde você vai depois do trabalho? | Where are you going after work? |
| Para onde vocês querem viajar? | Where do you all want to travel to? |
| Onde você deixou as chaves? | Where did you leave the keys? |
Remember: Use onde for a location. Use aonde when you ask about a destination and the verb pattern includes a; para onde is another clear way to ask about direction.
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 is the museum entrance?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde fica a entrada do museu?
Do you know where they live?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você sabe onde eles moram?
This is the place where we met.
Show a Portuguese answer
Este é o lugar onde a gente se conheceu.
Where are you going after work?
Show a Portuguese answer
Aonde você vai depois do trabalho?
Where do you all want to travel to?
Show a Portuguese answer
Para onde vocês querem viajar?
Where did you leave the keys?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde você deixou as chaves?
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 onde for a location. Use aonde when you ask about a destination and the verb pattern includes a; para onde is another clear way to ask about direction.
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 Onde vs. Aonde: Ask ‘Where?’ and ‘Where To?’ in 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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