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Using Que tal in Portuguese. Not the Same as in Spanish

Using Que tal in Portuguese. Not the Same as in Spanish

posted on July 7, 2015

Using Que tal in Portuguese - Portuguese lesson

Que tal is a nice little expression that you can use in so many different situations. What confuses learners of Portuguese is that the Spanish language has the same expression as a greeting. In Portuguese it is not a greeting. Learn how to use Que tal in this lesson. You will sound really good when talking to your friends. 

Que tal…?

Imagine this situation: Fátima and João are planning to go out for dinner tonight. Here is their dialogue:

JOÃO: O que você quer comer?

FÁTIMA: Que tal frutos do mar?

JOÃO: Tá ótimo. Te pego às 8.

Translation:

JOÃO: What do you want to eat?

FÁTIMA: How about seafood?

JOÃO: Sounds great. I will pick you up at 8.

In Portuguese, Que tal…? =

  • How about…?
  • What do you think of…?

Pronunciation

Watch this video lesson to learn how to pronounce the letter L when it is the last letter of the word or syllable, as in tal, Brasil, futebol, and  carnaval. These little things make a positive difference in your Portuguese.

Additional Examples with Que tal

Situation 1

After dinner, João asks:

  • Que tal pegar um cineminha na sexta?

= How about catching a movie on Friday?

Situation 2

When Fátima was getting ready to meet João, she asked her sister:

  • Que tal esse vestido? Estou bonita?

= How about this dress? Do I look pretty?

In the example above you can also translate Que tal as: What do you think of…?

Situation 3

Cristiana thinks her roommate is too bossy. One day during an argument she says:

  • Que tal falar menos e ajudar mais?

= How about talking less and helping more?

Notice the Verb

Did you notice that in situations 1 and 3 the verb after que tal is in the infinitive? Keep that in mind.

At Street Smart Brazil we make sure that you learn correct Portuguese for all occasions. Learning popular expressions like que tal can make life easier and will make you sound natural when speaking Portuguese with your friends.

We believe that you want to speak Portuguese comfortably and with confidence, right? So, que tal booking a Trial Lesson with us to see how learning with our professional instructors will make a positive difference in your ability to communicate well in Portuguese? You can easily do so here now.

Portuguese Lessons via Skype

Related Posts:

  • The Power of Rehearsal to Improve Language Learning
  • 4 Brazilian Portuguese Expressions with the Verb Levar –…
  • Valentine’s Day in Brazil - Dia dos Namorados

About Luciana Lage

I’m Luciana, founder of Street Smart Brazil. I am so happy to be able to help you in your Portuguese speaking journey! Teaching Portuguese as a foreign language was one of the best things that could have happened in my life. I’ve had the privilege of teaching Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of San Francisco. Now I am fully dedicated to the Street Smart Brazil community.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jose Santos

    November 5, 2018 at 11:05 am

    Existe um erro nas traduções acima. “Esse” não corresponde a “this” mas sim a “that”. “Este” é a palavra que corresponde a “this”. E em espanhol, é o mesmo; “este” é “this”, e “ese” é “that”.
    Infelizmente, no Brasil, apenas as pessoas mais cultas e documentos mais técnicos ou académicos utilizam “este” e “esse” corretamente.
    Quem tem responsabilidade de ensinar deveria conhecer a diferença e ensinar da forma mais correta.

    Reply
    • Luciana Lage

      November 7, 2018 at 5:58 pm

      Discordo de você. Veja, se quero perguntar que livro é esse que você tem nas mãos, eu uso “this book”. E, em português, uso “esse” porque está com você, e não comigo.

      Reply
  2. Arthur

    September 13, 2018 at 11:25 am

    Olá, Luciana, tudo bem?

    Tenho uma dúvida. Dá pra utilizar o infinitivo pessoal com a expressão “Que tal”?

    Por exemplo, posso falar assim: “Que tal você vir na minha casa?”?

    Obrigado, Luciana.

    Arthur

    Reply
    • Luciana Lage

      September 20, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      Sim, perfeito! Outros exemplos: Que tal vocês virem aqui amanhã? Que tal nós irmos lá?

      Reply

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