Portuguese Phrase
O que tem no seu estojo?
Meaning
Literally “What is in your case?”, this question asks someone to list the items they keep inside their personal case—usually a pencil case, makeup bag, or any small container.
When to use
Use it in informal settings such as school, the office, or at a friend’s house when you’re curious about the contents of a small container someone carries.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oquetemnoseuestojo?
Definite article (O)
Masculine singular article used before nouns; here it introduces the interrogative phrase.
Interrogative pronoun (que)
Means “what” and is used to ask about something unknown.
Verb ter (tem)
Third‑person singular present of “ter” (to have); asks about existence of something.
Contraction (no)
Combines the preposition “em” (in) with the article “o”, meaning “in the”.
Possessive adjective (seu)
Masculine singular form meaning “your” (formal or plural).
Noun (estojo)
Masculine noun meaning a small case, often for school supplies.
🗨In Conversation
O que tem no seu estojo?
What’s in your case?
Tenho canetas, lápis e um apontador.
I have pens, pencils and a sharpener.
✕Common Mistakes
O que há no seu estojo?
Learners sometimes replace “tem” with “há”. While “há” is grammatically correct, it sounds more formal; “tem” is the natural choice in everyday conversation.
O que tem no teu estojo?
Using “teu” (informal you) with “no” can cause a mismatch; you must say “no teu estojo”. Mixing formal and informal pronouns is a common slip.
↔Alternatives
O que há no seu estojo?
What is there in your case?
O que você tem no seu estojo?
What do you have in your case?
O que tem dentro do seu estojo?
What’s inside your case?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, “estojo” most commonly refers to a school‑supply case for pens, pencils, erasers, etc. It’s a casual word, so the phrase is best used with friends or classmates rather than in a formal business context.