Breakdown of Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas.
Questions & Answers about Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas.
Na is a contraction of em + a, and it’s very common in Portuguese.
- em + a prova → na prova (on/in the test)
- em + o livro → no livro (in the book)
In this sentence, na prova de amanhã literally means “in/on the test of tomorrow”, which corresponds to English “on tomorrow’s test” or “in tomorrow’s exam.”
You normally need a preposition (here, em) before prova, and with a feminine singular noun starting with a, em + a almost always contracts to na in speech and writing.
All three exist, but they’re used a bit differently:
- prova – the most common word for a school test or exam.
- Na prova de matemática, tirei 8. (On the math test, I got an 8.)
- teste – often a smaller or more informal test, or a test in a non‑school context (medical test, software test, etc.).
- Fiz um teste de COVID. (I took a COVID test.)
- exame – tends to sound more formal or serious, often used for important exams (university entrance, medical exams, etc.).
- Vou fazer o exame final. (I’m going to take the final exam.)
In a normal school context in Brazil, prova is the default word for a test.
De amanhã literally means “of tomorrow.”
- na prova de amanhã = in the test of tomorrow → on tomorrow’s test
Portuguese often uses de + time word to express this kind of relationship:
- o filme de ontem – yesterday’s movie
- a reunião de hoje – today’s meeting
- a prova de amanhã – tomorrow’s test
You would not normally say na prova amanhã in this sentence; the natural way is na prova de amanhã.
In Portuguese, cada (each) is grammatically singular, even though it refers to more than one person overall.
- cada aluno precisa (each student needs) – singular
- todos os alunos precisam (all the students need) – plural
So:
- Cada aluno precisa responder... ✅
- Cada aluno precisam responder... ❌ (ungrammatical)
The verb always agrees with the singular noun aluno when it is modified by cada.
No. Cada must be followed by a singular noun:
- cada aluno – each student ✅
- cada alunos ❌ (incorrect)
- cada pessoa – each person ✅
- cada dia – each day ✅
Even though it refers to multiple individuals, the word right after cada stays singular.
In Brazilian Portuguese, with a verb following precisar, you usually don’t use de:
- precisa responder – needs to answer ✅
- precisa estudar – needs to study ✅
- precisamos sair – we need to leave ✅
Using precisar de + infinitive is more typical in European Portuguese (Portugal).
You do use de when precisar is followed by a noun:
- precisa de ajuda – needs help ✅
- precisamos de dinheiro – we need money ✅
So in Brazil:
- precisa responder (verb) ✅
- precisa de responder (verb) – sounds European, not typical Brazilian
- precisa de três canetas (noun) ✅
Both are possible, but they mean slightly different things:
- três perguntas – three questions (unspecified, any three)
- as três perguntas – the three questions (some specific three questions already known or defined)
In the original sentence:
- cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas
→ each student must answer three (unspecified) questions on that test.
If the test had exactly three questions and every student had to answer all of them, you might say:
- Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder as três perguntas.
→ each student must answer the three questions (all of them).
Both forms exist; usage depends on style and region.
Without preposition (very common in Brazil):
- responder três perguntas
- responder a prova
- responder o questionário
Here, responder works like a normal transitive verb taking a direct object.
With preposition (more formal/grammatical tradition):
- responder a três perguntas
- responder às perguntas do professor
Grammars often say responder a algo, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, responder + direct object (no preposition) is extremely common and fully natural, especially with pergunta, questionário, prova.
Yes, you could say:
- Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder três questões.
Both are correct, but there is a nuance:
- pergunta – a question in general (someone asks, you answer).
- questão – in tests/exams, often used for items/problems (Question 1, Question 2, etc.), can be more formal.
Teachers often say:
- A prova tem dez questões. (The test has ten questions/items.)
So with a test, questões may sound slightly more “test-like,” but perguntas is also completely acceptable.
Portuguese often uses the present tense to talk about the near future, especially for planned or scheduled events:
- Amanhã eu viajo. – Tomorrow I travel / I’m traveling tomorrow.
- Daqui a pouco ele chega. – He’ll arrive soon.
In this sentence:
- Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas.
The idea is: regarding tomorrow’s test, the rule is that each student needs to answer three questions. The requirement exists now, even though the action (answering) will happen tomorrow. So the present tense is natural.
Yes, Portuguese word order is flexible. These are all acceptable, with slight changes of emphasis:
Na prova de amanhã, cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas.
(Original; sets the context first: as for tomorrow’s test…)Cada aluno precisa responder três perguntas na prova de amanhã.
(Focuses more on each student, then adds on tomorrow’s test.)Cada aluno, na prova de amanhã, precisa responder três perguntas.
(Extra emphasis on each student, with a pause around na prova de amanhã.)
All three are grammatically fine; the original is probably the most neutral.
They are two different words:
manhã – morning
- de manhã – in the morning
- Bom dia! Como foi a manhã? – Good morning! How was the morning?
amanhã – tomorrow
- Amanhã tenho prova. – I have a test tomorrow.
In na prova de amanhã, amanhã means tomorrow, not morning.