In Brazilian Portuguese, será is a word that really gets around, especially when we’re wondering or curious about something. Your Portuguese will sound natural and authentic when you use “será” to wonder about something or ask for someone’s guess on the likelihood of something happening. Let me show you how to use será in Portuguese correctly. It’s easy.
In this Portuguese lesson:
- How to use Será que in questions with 8 examples
- A reel with additional examples
- How to use Será without “que”
- The famous “Que será, será” and the most natural way to say it in Brazil
- The lyrics of a song by Legião Urbana titled Será
How to use Será in Portuguese
To be clear, I’m not simply talking about the future tense of the verb “ser”. I’m talking about questions with Será que…?
“Será que…?” expresses uncertainty or seeking someone’s opinion.
“Será que…?” can often be translated as “do you think…?” or “I wonder if…”.
Understanding and using será in these contexts not only enhances your conversational skills in Brazilian Portuguese but also brings you closer to the subtleties that make the language rich and engaging. As you integrate “será” into your dialogue, you’ll find yourself navigating predictions, doubts, and possibilities with greater ease and authenticity.
Let me show you how to use it with examples.
✔ Notice that after “será que” we use the indicative mood, and not the subjunctive.
1. Será que ele vai me ligar? (I wonder if he will call me?)
2. Será que a prova vai ser difícil? (Do you think the test will be difficult?)
3. Será que vamos encontrar um bom restaurante aberto a essa hora? (I wonder if we’ll find a good restaurant open at this hour?)
4. Será que ele entendeu a mensagem? (I wonder if he understood the message?)
5. Será que podemos confiar neles? (Can we trust them, I wonder?)
6. Não sei, será que é uma boa ideia? (I don’t know, is it a good idea?)
7. Será que o cliente vai aceitar a proposta? (Do you think the client will accept the proposal?)
8. Será que você poderia me ajudar? (Could you help me, perhaps?)
In the last example, “será que” softens the request, making it sound less demanding and more like a polite inquiry about the possibility of assistance.
Additional examples using “Será que” in my Reel
How to use “Será” without “que”
You’ll also encounter the word Será standing alone, without the “que” to follow. This is a common way to respond to someone’s statement with a subtle expression of skepticism or to ponder the veracity of what was said or the likelihood of that happening.
It’s like saying “Really?” or “Could it be?” or even “I wonder” in English depending on the context.
Here’s how it can play out in dialogues:
Example 1:
- Person A: Ouvi dizer que vai abrir um novo restaurante brasileiro na cidade mês que vem. (I heard that a new Brazilian restaurant will open in the city next month.)
- Person B: Será? (Really? / Could it be?)
Example 2:
- Person A: Acho que o João vai pedir Maria em casamento. (I think João is going to propose to Maria.)
- Person B: Será? (You think so? / Is that so?)
The famous “Que será, será”
Let me start by saying that in Brazil we’d use the definite article “o” in front of the phrase: O que será, será.
I have a Portuguese lesson about questions words, including “Que” and O que”.
The phrase “O que será, será” in Portuguese means “What will be, will be.” It’s a statement of letting go and allowing the future to happen as it will, without trying to control or predict it.
This sentiment has been famously captured in the English-speaking world as “Que será, será” in the song popularized by Doris Day for the Alfred Hitchcock film “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956). The phrase has since entered popular culture as a way to express a philosophical acceptance of the future’s unpredictability.
In Brazil, we often say “O que tiver que ser vai ser” to express the idea of “what will be, will be”.
Song Lyrics: Será, Legião Urbana
Now, let me get personal for a moment. Back when I was younger, living in Brazil, I was completely in love with Legião Urbana. I played their albums on repeat and knew every lyric by heart. “Será”, for instance, is a song that I belted out loud countless times 😃
Legião Urbana and their lead singer, Renato Russo, hold a legendary status in Brazil’s music history. Their rock anthems resonate with the voice of a generation, addressing social and personal issues that struck a chord across the nation. Renato Russo, with his profound lyrics and charismatic stage presence, became an icon, leaving a legacy that still influences artists today.
Here are the lyrics to “Será” with the English translation below.
Será, Legião Urbana
Tire suas mãos de mim
Eu não pertenço a você
Não é me dominando assim
Que você vai me entender
Eu posso estar sozinho,
Mas eu sei muito bem aonde estou
Você pode até duvidar
Acho que isso não é amor
Será só imaginação?
Será que nada vai acontecer?
Será que é tudo isso em vão?
Será que vamos conseguir vencer?
Nos perderemos entre monstros
Da nossa própria criação
Serão noites inteiras
Talvez por medo da escuridão
Ficaremos acordados
Imaginando alguma solução
Pra que esse nosso egoísmo
Não destrua nosso coração
Será só imaginação?
Será que nada vai acontecer?
Será que é tudo isso em vão?
Será que vamos conseguir vencer?
Brigar pra quê se é sem querer?
Quem é que vai nos proteger?
Será que vamos ter que responder
Pelos erros a mais, eu e você?
Translation:
Take your hands off me
I don’t belong to you
It’s not by dominating me like this
That you’re going to understand me
I may be alone,
But I know very well where I am
You might even doubt it
I think that this is not love
Is it just imagination?
Is nothing going to happen?
Is all this in vain?
Are we going to be able to win?
We’ll lose ourselves among monsters
Of our own creation
There will be whole nights
Maybe because of fear of the dark
We’ll stay awake
Imagining some solution
So that our selfishness
Doesn’t destroy our heart
Is it just imagination?
Is nothing going to happen?
Is all this in vain?
Are we going to be able to win?
Why fight if it’s unintentional?
Who’s going to protect us?
Are we going to have to answer
For too many mistakes, you and me?
🇧🇷 Será que você deseja elevar de verdade seu português?
Eu criei o curso curso 30-day Brazilian Portuguese Challenge com o desejo genuíno de oferecer uma forma leve e divertida para falantes intermediários avançarem seu português.
Meu objetivo é proporcionar a você uma experiência de aprendizagem que abra as portas para uma comunicação mais autêntica e dinâmica.
Ao longo desta jornada, você não apenas vai aprender expressões idiomáticas super bacanas, mas também vai melhorar o seu português em geral, incluindo compreensão oral, vocabulário e conjugação de verbos.
O curso é todo em português, criado para elevar o português de falantes em nível intermediário:
✅ 30 lições em vídeo, em português com legendas em português
✅ 30 quizzes, um para cada expressão
✅ 68 exercícios de vocabulário
✅ Lista de vocabulário em cada lição (mais de 800 palavras no total)
✅ E você ganha acesso a uma comunidade exclusiva onde eu vou responder a todas as suas perguntas pessoalmente
