How do you say "Who are you supporting?" in Portuguese?

"Who are you supporting?" in Portuguese is "Quem estás a apoiar?". This phrase is commonly used in Portugal.

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How to Say ‘Who are you supporting?’ in Portuguese

Q: What does "Quem estás a apoiar?" mean in English?

"Quem estás a apoiar?" means "Who are you supporting?" in English. Usage tip: With [quem], Portuguese doesn't need a word for "do" the way English does: [Quem estás a apoiar?] literally lines up more like "Who are you supporting?" This same pattern works in [Quem estás a ver?]

Quem estás a apoiar?

keng esh-TAHSH uh ah-poy-AR

[keng esh-TAHSH uh ah-poy-AR]

💬 Usage Tip: With [quem], Portuguese doesn't need a word for "do" the way English does: [Quem estás a apoiar?] literally lines up more like "Who are you supporting?" This same pattern works in [Quem estás a ver?]

Phrase Breakdown

Quem

[keng]

who

An interrogative word used to ask about a person.

Example

Quem estás a apoiar?

Who are you supporting?

Estás a apoiar?

esh-TAHSH uh ah-poy-AR

Words in this phrase

estás

[esh-TAHSH]

are

From the verb 'estar'; here it means 'you are' in an informal singular form.

Example

Quando perguntas 'Quem estás a apoiar?', falas com uma pessoa de forma informal.

When you ask 'Who are you supporting?', you are speaking to one person informally.

[uh]

A small word used before an infinitive verb in the progressive expression 'estar a + verb'.

Example

Em 'Quem estás a apoiar?', o 'a' liga o verbo à ação em curso.

In 'Who are you supporting?', 'a' links the verb to the ongoing action.

apoiar

[ah-poy-AR]

supporting

The infinitive verb 'apoiar', meaning to support or back a team or person.

Example

No Mundial, 'Quem estás a apoiar?' é uma pergunta muito comum.

At the World Cup, 'Who are you supporting?' is a very common question.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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