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Tu estás doente agora?

Tu estás doente agora?
Are you sick now?
FromLesson 2inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Tu estás doente agora?

tu
you
estar
to be
doente
sick
agora
now

Questions & Answers about Tu estás doente agora?

Why is tu used here instead of você?
In European Portuguese, tu is the informal way to address someone you know well, like a friend or close family member. Você is more formal or used when there is some social distance. Since this sentence is using tu, it implies a familiar or informal context.
Why does the verb change to estás instead of está?
With tu, verbs in the present tense end with -as in the second person singular (e.g., tu falas, tu comes, tu estás). If you used você, you would say você está.
Is there a difference between saying Tu estás doente? and Estás doente? without tu?
Both are common and easily understood. In spoken Portuguese, it’s quite normal to drop the pronoun as the verb form already indicates who is being addressed. However, including tu can add emphasis on the person, or set a more informal tone.
Why do we say doente here and not something like enfermo?
Doente is the most common, everyday word for someone who is sick or ill. Enfermo is also correct, but it is more formal or literary and less commonly used in casual conversation.
What is the role of agora in the sentence?
Agora means now, emphasizing that the question refers to the current moment. It’s essentially asking if the person is sick at this very moment. If agora was omitted, the meaning would still be understood, but it wouldn’t highlight the present time as strongly.
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