A1 · Unit 4 · Lesson 3
Family and questions
Talking about the people in your life, possessives, and the full toolkit of question words.
Introduce your family, say what's yours, and ask the questions that keep a conversation going.
“My” and “your” match the thing owned
meu/minha (my) and seu/sua (your) agree with the noun, not the owner: meu carro, minha casa.
Spot the pattern
“Meu / minha” copy the gender of the thing owned, not the owner. Predict the form.
meu pai
my father
minha mãe
my mother
seu nome
your name
“Dele” and “dela” for his / hers
Because “seu” is ambiguous, Brazilians say the noun and then “dele” (his) or “dela” (hers): “o irmão dele”, “a casa dela”.
o livro dela
her book
a mãe dele
his mother
os amigos deles
their friends
The question words
quem (who), qual (which), onde (where), quando (when), por que (why), quanto (how much). They usually open the sentence.
Onde você mora?
Where do you live?
Quando ela chega?
When does she arrive?
Quem é ele?
Who is he?
Common mistakes
- — Possessives copy the noun's gender: “minha irmã”, “meu irmão” — not the owner's.
- — “Seu” can mean your/his/her; use “dele/dela” after the noun when you need to be clear.
- — “Por que” (two words) asks a question; “porque” (one word) gives the reason.
14 exercises · pass at 85% · missed items return until you clear them