Eu vou perguntar por Maria.

I am going to ask about Maria.

Breakdown of Eu vou perguntar por Maria.

• eu: I
• Maria: Maria
• ir: to go
• perguntar por: to ask about

Questions & Answers about Eu vou perguntar por Maria.

Do I need the subject pronoun Eu, or can I just say Vou perguntar por Maria?

You can drop Eu. Portuguese is a null-subject language, so Vou perguntar por Maria is perfectly natural. Keeping Eu adds emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I will ask (not someone else)”).

Am I “asking Maria a question,” or “asking for/about Maria”?

With perguntar por Maria, you’re not asking Maria anything. You’re inquiring about her or asking for her (e.g., at a reception or on the phone).
To ask Maria a question, use perguntar a/à Maria (see below).

How do I say “ask Maria (the person)”?

Use perguntar a (EP standard for the addressee):

• Vou perguntar à Maria. = I’ll ask Maria. If you normally use the definite article with names, contract: a + a Maria → à Maria. Without the article: a Maria is also possible in some registers, but à Maria is the usual spoken EP form.

Why por here? When do I use por vs sobre with perguntar?

• perguntar por [alguém] = ask for/after someone, or inquire about someone’s whereabouts/well-being.
  Example: Vou perguntar pela Maria na receção.
• perguntar sobre [tema/pessoa] = ask about as a topic (more neutral “about”).
  Example: Vou perguntar sobre a Maria (e.g., gather information about her situation). For people, por is very idiomatic when you’re trying to find them or ask after them. Sobre is fine when treating the person as a topic of discussion.

Should it be por Maria or pela Maria? Aren’t names in Portugal usually used with the article?

In European Portuguese, many speakers use the definite article with names. If you include it here, you must contract:

• por + a Maria → pela Maria
  So: Vou perguntar pela Maria (very idiomatic in everyday EP).
  Without the article (por Maria) is also possible, and may feel more formal or regional; usage varies by region and register.

Remind me of the por contractions.

• por + o → pelo
• por + a → pela
• por + os → pelos
• por + as → pelas
  So “por a Maria” must become pela Maria; “por o João” becomes pelo João.

Is vou perguntar the normal future in speech, or should I say perguntarei?

In everyday EP, ir + infinitive is the most common: Vou perguntar…
The synthetic future perguntarei is correct but sounds formal/literary or planned/official. Both are fine; choose based on tone.

Can I say vou a perguntar?

No. The periphrastic future is ir + infinitive without a preposition: vou perguntar.
Use ir a only when “going to” a place/event (e.g., vou ao médico).

Where do pronouns go if I want “I’ll ask her for/about Maria”?

In EP, with vou + infinitive, the safest placement is to attach the clitic to the infinitive:

• Vou perguntar‑lhe pela Maria. = I’ll ask her about/for Maria. You’ll also hear Vou‑lhe perguntar… in Portugal; it’s very common in speech, but attaching to the infinitive (perguntar‑lhe) is the safer choice for writing.

Can I replace Maria with a pronoun?

Yes:

• Vou perguntar por ela. = I’ll ask about/for her.
• Vou perguntar por ele(s)/elas. = I’ll ask about/for him/them.

How would I say this naturally on the phone or at a reception?

Common options:

• A Maria está?
• Posso falar com a Maria?
• Queria falar com a Maria.
• Vou perguntar pela Maria na receção.

Is por here the same word as the verb pôr (“to put”)?

No. por is a preposition; pôr is a verb. They’re pronounced the same in standard EP, but the accent distinguishes the verb in writing.

Any differences in Brazil I should know?

Yes:

• To mean “ask Maria (the person),” Brazilians often say perguntar para a Maria (EP uses a/à Maria, not para).
• perguntar por [alguém] is also used in Brazil to mean “ask about/for someone,” so the sentence remains understandable.

Could perguntar por Maria mean “ask on behalf of Maria”?

No. With perguntar, por Maria means “about/for Maria” (seek or inquire).
“On behalf of” would be em nome da Maria (e.g., Vou falar em nome da Maria).