Portuguese Phrase
Pode perguntar à vontade.
Meaning
The speaker is giving the listener permission to ask any question they like, emphasizing that there is no need to hold back. It conveys a friendly, open‑ended invitation to speak.
When to use
Use it when you want to encourage someone to ask questions – in classrooms, customer‑service chats, meetings, or casual conversations where you’re offering help or clarification.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Podeperguntaràvontade.
Poder (Pode)
‘Pode’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘poder’, used here as a polite way to give permission.
Infinitive after poder
When ‘poder’ expresses permission, it is followed by an infinitive verb (e.g., ‘perguntar’).
Contraction ‘à’
‘à’ = a + a (preposition ‘a’ + feminine article ‘a’). It introduces the idiom ‘à vontade’.
Idiomatic ‘à vontade’
Literally ‘to the will’, the expression means ‘freely, at leisure, without hesitation’.
🗨In Conversation
Tenho dúvidas sobre o exercício de hoje.
I have doubts about today's exercise.
Pode perguntar à vontade.
Feel free to ask.
✕Common Mistakes
Pode perguntar a vontade.
Missing the accent and contraction; ‘à’ must be used to link the preposition and article.
Pode perguntar livremente.
Grammatically correct but less idiomatic; native speakers prefer ‘à vontade’.
Pode perguntar sem problema.
Literal translation that sounds unnatural in Portuguese.
↔Alternatives
Sinta‑se à vontade para perguntar.
Feel free to ask.
Fique à vontade para perguntar.
Go ahead and ask.
Pergunte o que quiser.
Ask whatever you want.
Cultural Tip
‘À vontade’ is a very common, polite way to invite someone to speak freely in Brazilian and European Portuguese. It can also mean ‘to feel comfortable’, so the tone is friendly but not overly formal. Avoid mixing it with ‘por favor’ in the same sentence, as the phrase already carries the courtesy.