Question: Who? (Quem)
Quem for people, keep it singular, and put prepositions like de or com immediately before it.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'Quem' to ask about people; it is invariant, meaning it never changes for gender or number.
- Use 'Quem' at the start of a question to identify a person: 'Quem é você?' (Who are you?)
- Use 'Com quem' to ask 'with whom': 'Com quem você mora?' (With whom do you live?)
- Use 'De quem' to ask 'whose': 'De quem é este livro?' (Whose book is this?)
Overview
In Portuguese, Quem is the interrogative pronoun used exclusively to ask about the identity of a person or a personified entity. Unlike English "who," "whom," and "whose," Quem consolidates these roles. Its core characteristic is invariance: it does not change form for gender, number, or grammatical case.
This simplifies learning, as Quem always appears as Quem. It functions as both the subject and the object of verbs or prepositions, making it fundamental for social inquiries and understanding conversational roles. Mastering Quem is a cornerstone for basic communication in Portuguese.
How This Grammar Works
Quem functions as an interrogative pronoun, standing in for an unknown human participant. Its invariance means Quem never alters its spelling (e.g., no Quens), regardless of the answer's gender or number. This simplifies agreement rules compared to other Portuguese interrogatives.Quem acts as the subject of a sentence, the accompanying verb almost universally takes the third-person singular form. This applies even if the expected answer is plural.Quem ligou?(Who called?) —ligouis singular.Quem está rindo?(Who is laughing?) —estáis singular.
ser (to be), only when followed by an explicitly plural predicate noun or pronoun. In such cases, ser can agree in number with the actual identity of Quem.Quem é o diretor?(Who is the director?)Quem são eles?(Who are they?) —sãoagrees witheles.
Quem serves as the object of a preposition, the preposition must directly precede Quem. This forms a mandatory unit, unlike colloquial English, where prepositions can end a sentence.Com quem você falou?(Who did you speak with? / With whom did you speak?)De quem é esse livro?(Whose book is this? / Of whom is this book?)
a precedes Quem when it's a direct object (A quem você viu?). However, in informal Brazilian Portuguese, this a is frequently omitted (Quem você viu?), a distinction crucial for both comprehension and natural expression. The grammatical behaviors of invariance, singular verb agreement (with the ser exception), and mandatory preceding prepositions define Quem's usage.Formation Pattern
Quem is systematic, generally placing the pronoun at the beginning of the question, followed by a verb or a preposition.
Quem as Subject (Verb in 3rd Person Singular)
Quem initiates the question, followed by the verb in its singular form.
Quem + [Verb (3rd sg)] + ? | Quem chegou? | Who arrived? |
Quem + [Verb (3rd sg)] + ? | Quem fez isso? | Who did that? |
Quem mora nesta casa? (Who lives in this house?)
Quem as Object of a Preposition
Quem, forming a cohesive interrogative phrase.
De | De quem + [Verb (3rd sg)] + [Noun]? | De quem é esta caneta? | Whose pen is this? |
Com | Com quem + [Subject] + [Verb]? | Com quem você saiu? | Who did you go out with? |
Para | Para quem + [Subject] + [Verb]? | Para quem é o bilhete? | Who is the ticket for? |
Em quem confias? (Who do you trust?)
Quem é que... adds emphasis, more frequently heard in European Portuguese, but also valid for emphasis in Brazilian Portuguese.
Quem é que + [Verb] + ...? | Quem é que pode ajudar? | Who is it that can help? |
Quem é que está na fila? (Who is it that's in the queue?)
Quem as Direct Object (Formal vs. Informal)
a marks Quem as a direct object (A quem você viu?). Informally in BP, a is often omitted (Quem você viu?). While grammatically distinct, both are part of active usage.
When To Use It
Quem is utilized whenever the identity of a person is the central unknown in a question. This fundamental role makes it indispensable across various communicative contexts.- 1Identifying the Subject/Agent: Use
Quemto ask who performed an action or is in a particular state.
Quem abriu a porta?(Who opened the door?) — Seeking the person who initiated the action.Quem vem para o jantar?(Who's coming to dinner?) — Inquiring about attendance.
- 1Determining Possession (
De quem): The fixed phraseDe quemtranslates directly to "whose," indicating ownership or origin.
De quem é este chapéu?(Whose hat is this?)- De quem você pegou o caderno?` (Whose notebook did you take? / From whom did you take the notebook?)
- 1Asking About Recipient or Beneficiary (
Para quem,A quem): When the question concerns the person for whom something is intended or to whom something is directed, prepositions specify this relationship.
Para quem você comprou os ingressos?(Who did you buy the tickets for?)A quem devo o meu sucesso?(To whom do I owe my success?) — More formal.
- 1Inquiring About Companionship (
Com quem): To ask about a person accompanying someone or involved in a shared action,Com quemis the correct construction.
Com quem ela foi ao parque?(Who did she go to the park with?)Com quem vocês trabalham?(Who do you all work with?)
- 1Object of Other Prepositions:
Quemcan be the object of almost any preposition when the question pertains to a person. Each preposition clarifies the relationship.
Sobre quem falavam?(Who were they talking about?)Contra quem vamos competir?(Who are we going to compete against?)
Quem consistently focuses on identifying individuals or personified entities, with surrounding grammatical elements specifying its precise role in the question.Common Mistakes
Quem. Addressing these common pitfalls enhances accuracy and fluency.- 1The "Plural Trap" with Verb Agreement: A frequent error is conjugating the verb following
Quemin the plural, anticipating a plural answer. This is incorrect.Quemis grammatically singular and demands a singular verb form.
- Incorrect:
Quem estão com fome?(Who are hungry?) - Correct:
Quem está com fome?(Who is hungry?)
ser when followed by an explicitly plural predicate noun/pronoun (Quem são os vencedores?). Otherwise, always singular.- 1Incorrect Preposition Placement: Unlike colloquial English, Portuguese strictly requires prepositions to precede
Quemwhen it functions as the preposition's object. Dangle prepositions are ungrammatical.
- Incorrect:
Quem você esperou por?(Who did you wait for?) - Correct:
Por quem você esperou?(For whom did you wait?)
- 1Confusing
QuemwithQual: These interrogatives serve different purposes.Quemseeks to identify a person, whereasQual(or its pluralQuais) asks for a selection from a specific, often implied, group.
Quem:Quem é o seu irmão?(Who is your brother?) — Asking for identity.Qual:Qual dos meninos é o seu irmão?(Which of the boys is your brother?) — Choosing from a group.
- 1Confusing
QuemwithO que: This is a fundamental distinction:Quemis for people/personified entities, whileO queis for things, concepts, or abstract ideas.
Quem:Quem está falando?(Who is speaking?)O que:O que está acontecendo?(What is happening?)
- 1Attempting to Pluralize
Quem: As an invariant pronoun,Quemnever takes a plural form. There is no such word asQuens.
- Incorrect:
Quens vieram? - Correct:
Quem veio?
Quem.Real Conversations
Quem is a ubiquitous element in modern Portuguese conversation, adaptable to both informal chats and more formal interactions. Its usage highlights subtle differences between Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and European Portuguese (EP).
1. Everyday Identification:
In quick, casual exchanges, Quem is direct:
- BP Text: — Tô aqui fora. — Quem? — Eu, ué. Abre a porta! (— I'm out here. — Who? — Me, duh. Open the door!)
- EP Conversation: — Não sei quem é aquele senhor. — É o vizinho novo. (— I don't know who that man is. — He's the new neighbor.)
2. Social Media & Curiosity:
Quem features in comments and questions about people in photos or situations:
- Instagram Comment (BP): "Adorei a foto! Quem é a pessoa de vermelho?" (Loved the photo! Who is the person in red?)
- WhatsApp Group (EP): "Quem é que vai organizar o encontro este mês?" (Who is it that's organizing the meeting this month?)
3. Expressing Surprise or Rhetoric:
Idiomatic uses or specific intonation can convey more than just a direct question:
- "Quem diria!" (Who would've thought!) — A common expression of surprise.
- "Quem te deu essa ideia?" (Who gave you that idea?) — Can imply skepticism.
4. Formal Contexts:
In professional or formal settings, Quem maintains its role, with the preposition a often present for direct objects:
- "A quem devemos reportar este problema?" (To whom should we report this problem?) — In a work meeting.
- "Por quem foi assinado o documento?" (By whom was the document signed?) — Passive voice, formal.
5. BP vs. EP Nuances:
- Emphatic Form: European Portuguese favors Quem é que...? more frequently (Quem é que vem?) than Brazilian Portuguese, where the simpler Quem + verb (Quem vem?) is more common for neutral questions. Both are understood across varieties.
- Direct Object A: The omission of a before Quem as a direct object (Quem você viu?) is characteristic of informal BP. In formal BP and consistently in EP, A quem você viu? is used.
These real-world examples demonstrate Quem's versatility and how its usage can subtly differ between Portuguese varieties, while always serving its core purpose of identifying individuals.
Quick FAQ
Quem effectively.Quem ever be pluralized (e.g., Quens)?No, never. Quem is an invariant pronoun. It maintains its singular form regardless of the number or gender of the person(s) it refers to. The imagined plural Quens is grammatically incorrect.
Quem always require a singular verb, even if I expect a plural answer?Yes, almost always. When Quem functions as the subject, the verb that follows must be in the third-person singular form. Example: Quem chegou cedo? (Who arrived early?) even if multiple people arrived. The only exception is with the verb ser (to be) when its predicate noun or pronoun is explicitly plural. Example: Quem são os novos alunos? (Who are the new students?). Otherwise, maintain singular verb agreement.
Quem usage between Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and European Portuguese (EP)?The word Quem itself is universal. Key differences are stylistic and related to object marking:
- Emphatic Construction (
Quem é que...): More natural and frequent in everyday EP (Quem é que está aí?). While understood in BP, the simplerQuem + verb(Quem está aí?) is generally preferred for non-emphatic questions. - Direct Object Marker (
A quem): In informal BP, the prepositionais often omitted whenQuemis a direct object (Quem você viu?). In formal BP and consistently in EP,A quemis used (A quem você viu?).
Quem be used for animals?Grammatically, animals are generally "things" (O que) in Portuguese. However, for beloved pets that are personified or treated like family members, using Quem is common and endearing, especially in informal contexts. Example: Quem é o bom garoto? (Who's a good boy?) for a dog. While O que is strictly correct, Quem is widely accepted and understood when referring to highly personified animals.
Quem differ from Que?The distinction is fundamental:
Quemrefers exclusively to persons (Quem ligou?- Who called?).Quehas broader uses, primarily referring to things or concepts as an interrogative pronoun (Que você quer?- What do you want?) or modifying a noun as an interrogative adjective (Que livro você leu?- Which book did you read?).Quemis for living beings;Queis for inanimate objects and ideas.
3. Interrogative Structures with Quem
| Structure | English Equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Quem + Verb
|
Who + Verb
|
Quem é?
|
|
Com quem + Verb
|
With whom + Verb
|
Com quem você vai?
|
|
De quem + Verb
|
Whose + Verb
|
De quem é isto?
|
|
Para quem + Verb
|
For whom + Verb
|
Para quem é o bolo?
|
|
Por quem + Verb
|
By/For whom + Verb
|
Por quem você votou?
|
|
Sobre quem + Verb
|
About whom + Verb
|
Sobre quem falamos?
|
Meanings
The interrogative pronoun 'quem' is used to inquire about the identity of a person or people.
Subject identification
Asking who is performing an action or who someone is.
“Quem está aí?”
“Quem quer café?”
Prepositional usage
Used with prepositions to ask about relationships or possession.
“Para quem é isto?”
“De quem é o carro?”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Simple
|
Quem + Verb
|
Quem chegou?
|
|
Possessive
|
De quem + Verb
|
De quem é a chave?
|
|
Comitative
|
Com quem + Verb
|
Com quem você jantou?
|
|
Benefactive
|
Para quem + Verb
|
Para quem é o presente?
|
|
Relative
|
Pessoa + com quem
|
A pessoa com quem saí
|
|
Indefinite
|
Quem quer que
|
Quem quer que venha
|
|
Rhetorical
|
Quem sou eu
|
Quem sou eu para falar?
|
|
Negative
|
Não há quem
|
Não há quem saiba
|
Formality Spectrum
Com quem o senhor está? (Social inquiry)
Com quem você está? (Social inquiry)
Tá com quem? (Social inquiry)
Tá com quem, mano? (Social inquiry)
The Quem Universe
Direct
- Quem é? Who is it?
Possessive
- De quem? Whose?
Social
- Com quem? With whom?
Examples by Level
Quem é ele?
Who is he?
Quem fala?
Who is speaking?
Quem quer água?
Who wants water?
Quem é a professora?
Who is the teacher?
Com quem você mora?
With whom do you live?
De quem é este celular?
Whose phone is this?
Para quem é o presente?
Who is the gift for?
Por quem você espera?
Who are you waiting for?
A mulher com quem conversei é médica.
The woman with whom I spoke is a doctor.
Não sei com quem ele foi.
I don't know with whom he went.
Quem muito fala, pouco faz.
He who talks a lot, does little.
É a pessoa de quem eu gosto.
It is the person whom I like.
Quem quer que seja, não abra a porta.
Whoever it may be, do not open the door.
Eram pessoas com quem eu não tinha afinidade.
They were people with whom I had no affinity.
De quem quer que seja a culpa, resolveremos.
Whoever's fault it is, we will solve it.
Foi por quem eu me apaixonei.
It was the one I fell in love with.
Quem me dera saber a verdade.
I wish I knew the truth.
Não há quem não saiba disso.
There is no one who doesn't know that.
Quem sou eu para julgar?
Who am I to judge?
Seja quem for, não atenda.
Whoever it is, don't answer.
Quem o viu e quem o vê.
How he has changed (idiomatic).
Quem é quem nesta história?
Who is who in this story?
Não tendo quem o ajude, ele desistiu.
Having no one to help him, he gave up.
Quem diria que chegaríamos aqui!
Who would have thought we'd get here!
Easily Confused
Learners use 'quem' for things.
Learners use 'qual' for people.
Putting the preposition at the end.
Common Mistakes
Quems é você?
Quem é você?
Quem você mora com?
Com quem você mora?
Qual é você?
Quem é você?
Quem é o carro?
De quem é o carro?
Para quem é isto?
Para quem é isto?
Quem ela gosta?
De quem ela gosta?
Com quem você vai com?
Com quem você vai?
A pessoa que falei com ela.
A pessoa com quem falei.
Quem eu vi ontem.
A pessoa que vi ontem.
Não sei quem é o livro.
Não sei de quem é o livro.
Quem quer que ele seja, não importa.
Seja quem for, não importa.
Não há quem não gosta.
Não há quem não goste.
Quem sou eu para que julgue?
Quem sou eu para julgar?
Sentence Patterns
Quem é ___?
Com quem você ___?
De quem é ___?
Para quem é ___?
Real World Usage
Quem vai na festa?
Quem é?
Com quem devo falar?
Para quem entrego a chave?
Para quem é o pedido?
Quem sabe a resposta?
Preposition First
No Plural
Relative Clauses
Doorbell
Smart Tips
Always start with 'Quem'.
Move the preposition to the front.
Use 'De quem' for 'Whose'.
Use 'quem' after a preposition.
Pronunciation
Nasalization
The 'em' in 'quem' is a nasal sound.
Rising
Quem é? ↗
Standard question intonation.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Quem is the Queen of people questions.
Visual Association
Imagine a Queen (Quem) holding a list of names. Every time you ask about a person, you are checking the Queen's list.
Rhyme
If you want to know who, just say 'Quem', and you'll be right again and again.
Story
A detective enters a room. He looks at the crowd and asks 'Quem?'. The suspects look at each other. He points to one and asks 'De quem é esta mala?'. The person replies, 'Não sei com quem ela veio'.
Word Web
Challenge
For the next 5 minutes, look at photos of people and ask 'Quem é?' for each one.
Cultural Notes
In Brazil, 'quem' is often used in the phrase 'Quem é?' to answer the door.
In Portugal, the use of 'quem' is similar but often paired with more formal verb conjugations.
In Angola, 'quem' is used frequently in social greetings.
Derived from the Latin 'quem', the accusative case of 'quis'.
Conversation Starters
Quem é o seu melhor amigo?
Com quem você mora?
De quem é este livro?
Para quem você ligou hoje?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
___ é você?
Find and fix the mistake:
Quem você mora com?
___ é o seu professor?
é / de / quem / livro / este
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Para ___ você comprou isto?
Quem changes for gender.
A: ___ é aquela moça? B: É a Maria.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercises___ é você?
Find and fix the mistake:
Quem você mora com?
___ é o seu professor?
é / de / quem / livro / este
Com quem você vai?
Para ___ você comprou isto?
Quem changes for gender.
A: ___ é aquela moça? B: É a Maria.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercises___ quem você está falando?
é / quem / o / chefe / ?
Select the correct option:
Who are you?
Match correctly:
Quem são gritando?
___ quem é aquele carro?
Choose the best option:
gosta / ela / quem / de / ?
Who is he?
___ quem você vai viajar?
What do you say?
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No, 'quem' is invariant.
No, use 'que' or 'qual'.
Always before 'quem'.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
'Quem' is for people, 'que' is for things.
Yes, usually after a preposition.
Yes, it is standard in both.
Use 'De quem'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
quién
Accent mark usage.
qui
Pronunciation.
wer
German changes based on case.
dare
Word order.
man
Script and gender.
shei
No movement to the front.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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