Onde
The adverb ondewhere indicates a location.
Examples:
Onde fica a tua casa?Where is your house?
Onde ouviste isso?Where did you hear that?
Onde can be used to replace expressions such as:
- em quein which, where
- no qualin which, where
- na qualin which, where
É a gaveta em que estão as chavesIt’s the drawer where the keys are
Lisboa é uma cidade na qual as casas são carasLisbon is a city where the houses are expensive
Aonde
AondeTo where is a contraction between the adverb ondewhere and the preposition ato . It’s most commonly used with the verb irto go when asking a question and implies the idea of going from one place to another. For example:
Aonde é que ele vai?Where is he going (to) ?
An answer to this question would involve the same verb + the preposition a.
Ele vai a Lisboa ~ Ele vai ao supermercadoHe's going to Lisbon ~ He's going to the supermarket
Idea of movement
Just as we did with aonde , by combining a preposition with the adverb onde , we were able to further characterize the movement expressed by the verb. Let’s explore how we can use different prepositions to create different variations of the concept of where.
Arrival point
You can refer to an arrival point or destination using aondeto where or para ondeto where
Aonde vais? ~ Para onde vais?Where are you going?
Even though both sentences have the same translation, they actually have a slightly different implication in terms of the length of stay.
- Aonde vais?Where are you going? refers to going somewhere temporarily, such as an appointment or a 7-day trip.
- Para onde vais?Where are you going? refers to a more prolonged sense of time because of the preposition parafor, to . You would use it when talking about moving to a different house or city, for example.
Starting point
While the preposition ato is associated with an arrival point, the preposition deof, from is used to reference a starting point.
De + onde = Dondefrom where
Donde vens?Where are you coming from?
Não sei donde é que ele apareceuI don't know where he came from
As a process
By the “process”, we mean what’s between the starting and arrival points. You refer to it by using the preposition porfor, by
Por + onde = Por ondeWhich way
Por onde vais?Which way are you going?
Eu vou por onde queroI go whichever way I want
I have a CD course I have been using which is quite specific about “de onde” being kept separate. Is donde a modern usage type of thing?
Olá! “Donde” is grammatically correct and well in use in European Portuguese, just like “aonde” 🙂
Just curious–I started learning Portuguese on audio-only lessons. They always said “Aonde e que vais” for “where are you going”. Your example above just says Aonde vais. Are both expressions correct? By the way, I like these lessons much better!!
Good question! Yes, both are correct. You’ll find that “é que” is very commonly added to Portuguese questions (even though it is technically optional). You can read more about how it’s used in the Questions unit here (see the Learning Note about “é que”): Questions Unit
Can you use adiante for time? Adiante de tres dias. In three days time? Or must you use the much longer antecediente ( If I have spelled it correctly ) !
If you want to say “In three days time”, the most idiomatic option would be “Daqui a três dias”. ‘Adiante’ as an adverb is not applicable here (nor is the word ‘antecedente’). But the verb adiantar can be used with time, e.g. when advancing clocks or rescheduling something for an earlier date/time.
– Nós adiantamos os relógios uma hora durante o verão. (We advance clocks by one hour during summer)
Just asking to be extra clear, is it correct that the word ‘donde’ in Portuguese cannot be used in the same sense that it is in Spanish?
“Donde está?” in Spanish = Where is it?
“Donde está? in Portuguese = Where is it from?
Yes, that’s correct. The Portuguese word “donde” is a contraction of de + onde (literally, “from where”), which is different from the Spanish “donde” (“where”). Also, we don’t say “Donde está?” at all. To ask where something or someone is from, we would use the verb ser and say “Donde é?” 🙂
I hear aonde all the time here in the north, maybe it’s a coisa de Tripeiro? similarly I hear “como estais” a lot too
Biba o Porto! 💪🏻
I hear aonde all the time here in the north, maybe it’s a coisa de Tripeiro? similarly I hear “como estais” a lot too
Biba o Porto! 💪🏻
Wonderful lessons as always.
In the onde examples with em que/no qual/na qual, are the following considered as grammatically correct as the examples above?
É a gaveta onde estão as chaves
Lisboa é uma cidade onde as casas são caras
?
Also, what determines whether one uses em que or no/na qual?
Many thanks in advance!
Olá! Yes, the alternatives you proposed are also grammatically correct.
The choice between ’em que’ and ‘no/na qual’ is generally a matter of preference, even though I would say that ‘no/na qual’ is better for more concrete, tangible things, than for more abstract concepts.
I noticed that when stating locations relative to each other, the word ‘ficar’ is often used, such as ‘a loja fica longe daqui’. But in the exercises, there is a sentence ‘Braga é longe de Lisboa’ (Braga is far from Lisbon). Is it also correct to say ‘Braga fica longe de Lisboa’? Are they interchangeable? If not, what are the differences of the 2 statement, assuming both are grammatically correct?
Olá 🙂 That’s right, it’s also correct to say ‘Braga fica longe de Lisboa’. When describing locations, all three verbs ser, estar and ficar are often used pretty much interchangeably, with no difference in meaning.
Muito obrigada pela ajuda.