Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Abres a janela?

Abres a janela?

Do you open the window?

Breakdown of Abres a janela?

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Questions & Answers about Abres a janela?

Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?

It is hidden in the verb! The verb is abrir (to open), which is a regular '-ir' verb. To say "you open" informally, you drop the '-ir' and add '-es' to make abres. Because this ending is only used for "you", we can safely drop the pronoun tu.

Why isn't there a word for "Do" at the beginning of the question?

Portuguese does not use helper words like "do" or "does" to make questions. You simply use the same word order as a normal statement and raise your pitch at the end of the sentence. Abres a janela can mean "You open the window" or "Do you open the window?" depending entirely on your tone of voice.

How do we know to use a instead of o before janela?

In Portuguese, every noun has a gender, and most words ending in the letter 'a' are feminine. Because janela (window) is feminine, we must use the feminine word for "the", which is a, instead of the masculine o.

Could this sentence also mean "Will you open the window?"

Absolutely. In Portuguese, it is very common to use the present tense to make everyday requests. Asking "Do you open the window?" (Abres a janela?) is a very natural way to ask someone to please open it for you.