Tu sabes a resposta?

Do you know the answer?

Breakdown of Tu sabes a resposta?

• tu: you
• a resposta: the answer
• saber: to find out

Questions & Answers about Tu sabes a resposta?

Why is there no word like do in Tu sabes a resposta?, when in English we say Do you know the answer?

Portuguese doesn’t use an auxiliary verb like do to form yes/no questions.
The question is made simply by:

• using the normal present tense (sabes = you know), and
• adding a rising intonation in speech or a question mark in writing.

So:

• Tu sabes a resposta. = You know the answer. (statement)
• Tu sabes a resposta? = Do you know the answer? (question)

Same words, same order; only the intonation/punctuation changes.

Why is it sabes and not sabe?

Sabes is the present tense form of saber for tu (you, singular informal) in European Portuguese:

• eu sei – I know
• tu sabes – you know (informal, singular)
• ele / ela sabe – he / she knows
• você sabe – you know (more formal / distant singular)
• nós sabemos – we know
• vocês sabem – you know (plural)
• eles / elas sabem – they know

So with tu you must say tu sabes, not tu sabe. Tu sabe is ungrammatical.

Is the tu necessary? Could I just say Sabes a resposta?

Yes, you can, and that’s very common.

Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. Sabes clearly indicates tu, so:

• Tu sabes a resposta?
• Sabes a resposta?

Both mean Do you know the answer?
Leaving out tu is natural and frequent in European Portuguese, especially in speech. Using tu can add a bit of emphasis or help avoid ambiguity when context isn’t clear.

What’s the difference between tu and você in Portugal?

In European Portuguese:

• tu = informal you (singular), used with friends, family, children, and often among younger people. It uses 2nd person verb forms (e.g., tu sabes).
• você = more distant or sometimes slightly formal you (singular). It uses 3rd person verb forms (e.g., você sabe).

So:

• Tu sabes a resposta? – informal
• Você sabe a resposta? – more distant / polite (and in many parts of Portugal, a bit stiff or even cold in everyday use)

In Brazil, você is usually the default informal you, but in Portugal tu tends to be more common in informal situations.

Could I say Sabes tu a resposta? instead of Tu sabes a resposta?

Yes, but the nuance changes.

• Tu sabes a resposta? / Sabes a resposta? – neutral question.
• Sabes tu a resposta? – possible, but sounds more emphatic, rhetorical, or literary in modern European Portuguese, as if stressing you in contrast to someone else.

This kind of inversion is not needed for normal questions; it’s used for emphasis or in more formal / stylised language.

Why is there an a before resposta? Is it the same as to in English?

Here a is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the, not the preposition to.

• a resposta = the answer
  
  • a = the (feminine singular)
  • resposta = answer

So Tu sabes a resposta? literally means You know the answer?

You cannot normally drop the article here.
✗ Tu sabes resposta? is ungrammatical in standard Portuguese.

(There is another a in Portuguese that is a preposition meaning to, but that’s a different word, even though it looks the same.)

Why is it saber and not conhecer for “to know” the answer?

Portuguese has two common verbs for to know:

• saber – to know a fact, information, how to do something.
• conhecer – to be acquainted with / familiar with people, places, or things.

Examples:

• Sei a resposta. – I know the answer. (fact → saber)
• Sei onde ele mora. – I know where he lives. (information → saber)
• Conheço o João. – I know João. (I’m acquainted with him → conhecer)
• Conheço Lisboa. – I know Lisbon (I’m familiar with the city → conhecer)

Since an answer is a piece of information, saber is the correct verb:
Tu sabes a resposta? = Do you know the answer?

How would I say Do you guys know the answer? in Portuguese from Portugal?

Use vocês (plural you) with the corresponding verb form sabem:

• Vocês sabem a resposta? – Do you (plural) know the answer?

If you’re already talking to a group, you can also drop vocês and just say:

• Sabem a resposta? – Do you guys know the answer?

The subject is clear from context and the plural verb ending -em.

How can I make this question more formal or polite in Portugal?

For more formality or distance, especially when addressing someone older or in a professional context, you can use o senhor / a senhora:

• O senhor sabe a resposta? – Do you (sir) know the answer?
• A senhora sabe a resposta? – Do you (madam) know the answer?

These forms take 3rd person verb forms (sabe, not sabes), and they sound respectful and polite in European Portuguese.

How is Tu sabes a resposta? pronounced, especially the link between sabes and a?

In European Portuguese, in normal connected speech, sabes a often sounds like one unit because the final s of sabes links to the a:

• tu – roughly like too (often quite reduced in fast speech)
• sabes – SAH-besh (final -s like sh in many accents)
• a – uh (very short, often reduced)

When spoken quickly:
Tu sabes a resposta? → something like too SAH-besh uh r(e)sh-POH-stuh?

Key points:

• Final s in sabes can sound like sh.
• Vowels in short words like a tend to be reduced and very quick.

Is Tu sabes a resposta. a statement and Tu sabes a resposta? a question, even though they look the same?

Yes. In writing, the only difference is the punctuation:

• Tu sabes a resposta. – You know the answer. (statement)
• Tu sabes a resposta? – Do you know the answer? (question)

In speech, the difference is in intonation:

• Statement: falling tone at the end.
• Question: rising tone at the end.

Portuguese relies on intonation and context rather than auxiliary verbs like do to distinguish these.

Can sabes? by itself be used like You know? / You see? in conversation?

Yes. In informal speech, Sabes? (from Tu sabes?) can work as a discourse marker, similar to English you know?:

• Sabes, eu não tive tempo. – You know, I didn’t have time.
• Ele, sabes, nunca chega a horas. – He, you know, never arrives on time.

Here sabes doesn’t literally mean do you know an answer; it organizes the conversation or softens what you’re saying. Context and tone tell you which meaning is intended.