Portuguese Phrase
Você toma banho?
Meaning
Literally ‘Do you take a shower?’ It asks whether the listener habitually showers or is about to shower. The phrase is neutral and can be used in casual conversation about daily routines, health, or travel plans.
When to use
Use when you want to know someone’s hygiene routine, when checking if a guest has already showered, or when coordinating morning activities. It works in both informal chats with friends and polite small‑talk with acquaintances.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vocêtomabanho?
Você (pronoun)
Second‑person singular pronoun used in Brazil for both formal and informal contexts; it triggers third‑person verb conjugation.
toma (present indicative)
Third‑person singular of the verb tomar. In this idiom, tomar means ‘to take’ as in ‘to take a shower.’
banho (noun)
Means ‘shower’ or ‘bath.’ In Brazil the expression tomar banho is the standard way to say ‘to shower.’
Question mark
Raising intonation at the end of the sentence signals a yes/no question.
🗨In Conversation
Você toma banho?
Do you take a shower?
Sim, eu tomo banho todas as manhãs.
Yes, I shower every morning.
✕Common Mistakes
Você toma o banho?
The article o is unnecessary unless you refer to a particular shower.
Você está tomando banho?
This changes the tense to present progressive, meaning ‘Are you showering now?’ not a general habit.
Você tem banho?
Ter means ‘to have’; tem banho asks if someone possesses a shower, not if they use it.
↔Alternatives
Você se banha?
Do you bathe?
Já tomou banho?
Have you taken a shower?
Você está tomando banho?
Are you taking a shower?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, tomar banho covers both showering and bathing; the word banho alone often implies a quick shower rather than a long soak. Most people shower daily, usually in the morning. In the South, a hot‑water shower is a cultural staple, while in the Northeast people may prefer a quick rinse due to water‑supply constraints. Avoid adding the definite article (o) before banho unless you are referring to a specific shower, e.g., ‘Você tomou o banho que eu deixei pronto?’