Portuguese Phrase
Que sinais devo procurar?
Meaning
The sentence asks for guidance about which signs, symptoms, or indicators one should be on the lookout for. It’s commonly used when seeking advice about health, safety, or any situation where early detection matters.
When to use
Use this question when you need to know what warning signs to watch for—e.g., medical symptoms, traffic signals, or signs of a problem in a project.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quesinaisdevoprocurar?
Que (interrogative)
Used to ask about something unknown; here it means 'what' and introduces a question about signs.
sinais (noun, plural)
Plural of 'sinal', meaning 'sign' or 'signal'; can refer to symptoms, warnings, or indicators.
devo (verb dever, 1st person singular)
Present indicative of 'dever' meaning 'should' or 'must'; expresses personal obligation.
procurar (infinitive)
Infinitive verb meaning 'to look for' or 'to search for'; follows 'devo' to form a modal construction.
🗨In Conversation
Que sinais devo procurar para saber se estou gripado?
What signs should I look for to know if I have the flu?
Procure febre alta, calafrios, dor de garganta e cansaço intenso.
Look for high fever, chills, sore throat, and intense fatigue.
✕Common Mistakes
Que sinais eu devo procurar?
The pronoun 'eu' is unnecessary and sounds redundant; Portuguese usually omits the subject pronoun when the verb already indicates the person.
Que sinais devo eu procurar?
Placing 'eu' after the verb breaks the natural verb‑subject order; keep the subject implied or place it before the verb.
Que sinais devo procurar?
If you want a more informal tone, replace 'devo' with 'devo ficar de olho' or 'devo observar'.
↔Alternatives
Quais sinais devo observar?
Which signs should I observe?
Que sinais devo ficar atento?
What signs should I pay attention to?
Que indícios devo procurar?
What clues should I look for?
Cultural Tip
In Portuguese, 'sinais' can refer to both physical symptoms (like medical signs) and more abstract indicators (like market trends). Choose the surrounding vocabulary to make the meaning clear. Also, using 'devo' sounds slightly formal; in casual speech many Brazilians might say 'Que sinais eu devo ficar de olho?'