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Para quem é o bolo?

Para quem é o bolo?
Who is the cake for?
From Lesson 125:Perguntas com preposição (De quem...?)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of Para quem é o bolo?

ser
to be
quem
who
o bolo
the cake
para
to / for

Questions & Answers about Para quem é o bolo?

Why does the Portuguese sentence start with Para quem when the English translation puts 'for' at the end?
In English, we often leave prepositions like 'for' at the very end of a question. In Portuguese, this is impossible! Prepositions like para (for), de (of/from), or com (with) must always stay right beside the question word they belong to. You have to phrase it literally as 'For whom is the cake?'.
Why do we use é (from the verb ser) here instead of está (from estar)?
We use ser because the cake's intended recipient is considered a fixed fact or the fundamental purpose of the gift. You always use ser when talking about identity, origin, and destination (who something is meant for).
Could I use por instead of para and ask Por quem é o bolo?
That would completely change the meaning! Para quem means 'for whom' (asking who gets the cake). If you asked Por quem é o bolo?, you would be asking 'By whom is the cake?' (asking who baked or brought it).
If I know the cake is for multiple people, does quem become plural?
No, quem (who/whom) is invariable, meaning its spelling never changes. You use quem whether you are asking about one person or a whole group of people.

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