você
/voˈse/
In Portuguese, the English phrase "do you" is expressed using você.
In Portuguese, the question "do you" is often expressed simply by using the subject pronoun você without a separate auxiliary verb like "do".
Which one should you use?
While você is the standard way to say "you" in much of Brazil, tu is used in many regions and requires different verb conjugations. To say "do you" when addressing a group of people, use the plural form vocês.
How do you pronounce it?
/voˈse/
Did you know?
- The pronoun você actually began as a highly formal way to address someone, literally meaning 'your mercy'.
- Even though você refers to 'you', it is grammatically treated as a third-person singular, meaning it uses the same verb forms as 'he' or 'she'.
- While você is common in Brazil, using it in parts of Portugal can sound overly familiar or even rude depending on the social context.
Examples in context
- O que você faz?What do you do?Tatoeba #393640 by brauliobezerra, translation #17125 by CK
- Você é de onde?Where do you come from?Tatoeba #397641 by brauliobezerra, translation #17150 by CK
- O que você tem?What do you have?Tatoeba #729117 by lenon_perez, translation #69589 by CK
- Por favor, pode me dizer onde fica a estação de trem?Please, can you tell me where the train station is?
- Como você fala "I love you" em português brasileiro?How do you say "I love you" in Brazilian Portuguese?
- Amigo, sabe como se diz "goodbye" em português de Portugal?Friend, do you know how to say "goodbye" in Portuguese from Portugal?
- 6059 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Mariana are talking about their plans for the weekend.
- LucasVocê vai à festa?Are you going to the party?
- MarianaNão, eu não vou.No, I'm not going.
- LucasVocê está muito cansada?Are you very tired?
- MarianaSim, eu trabalhei muito hoje.Yes, I worked a lot today.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry você, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
