Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Com quem vais ao cinema? - Who are you going to the cinema with?

Com quem vais ao cinema?

Who are you going to the cinema with?

Breakdown of Com quem vais ao cinema?

to the / at the (m.sg; f.sg à, m.pl aos, f.pl às)

to go

Questions & Answers about Com quem vais ao cinema?

Why does this sentence start with Com quem instead of ending with the word for "with"?

In English, it is common to put "with" at the end of a question (like "Who are you going with?"). In Portuguese, you can never end a sentence with a preposition like com (with). The preposition must always come right before the question word, making it literally "With whom" (Com quem).

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

The word tu (you, informal) is dropped. In Portuguese, you often leave out subject pronouns like "I" or "you" because the verb form already tells you who is doing the action. Since vais only ever goes with tu, the pronoun isn't needed.

What exactly does ao mean here?

Ao is a required contraction of the preposition a (to) and the masculine "the" (o). Because cinema is a masculine word, you combine them to say "to the cinema" (ao cinema).

Could I say para o cinema instead of ao cinema?

You could, but it sounds strange for this context. With the verb ir (to go), using the preposition a implies a short, temporary visit, which makes perfect sense for watching a movie. Using para implies a longer, much more permanent stay. For typical everyday outings, always use a.