onde você está?
The English phrase "where are you?" is translated into Portuguese as onde você está?
This phrase is a question used to ask for someone's current physical location.
Which one should you use?
The verb está is used in this phrase because it refers to a temporary physical location. You should not use the verb é, which is used for permanent characteristics.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, the informal pronoun tu is used in the phrase Onde estás?, while Onde está? is used as a formal way to ask the question. In Portugal and parts of Southern Brazil, onde tu estás? is a common way to ask the question. In Brazil, Cadê você? is a colloquial way to ask "Where are you?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase onde você está? uses the singular second-person pronoun você to ask one person where they are. To ask where a group of people is, you must change the pronoun to vocês and the verb to estão (making it onde vocês estão?).
Did you know?
- The word você originated from the phrase vossa mercee, which literally means 'your mercy'.
- The Brazilian colloquialism Cadê você? is used not only for people but also for missing objects, like keys or a wallet.
- In many parts of Brazil, speakers use tu but conjugate it with the third-person verb form, saying Onde tu está? instead of the grammatically 'correct' Onde tu estás?
Examples in context
- Desculpe-me, senhor. Onde o senhor está?Excuse me, sir. Where are you?
- Eu não te vejo, onde você está?I don't see you, where are you?
- Onde você está? Preciso falar com você.Where are you? I need to talk to you.
Example conversation
Rodrigo is looking for Camila in a large shopping mall.
- RodrigoCamila, onde você está?Camila, where are you?
- CamilaEstou perto da praça de alimentação.I am near the food court.
- RodrigoOk, estou chegando.Okay, I am arriving.
- CamilaTe espero aqui.I'll wait for you here.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries está, onde, você, CC BY-SA 4.0.
