Portuguese Phrase
Pergunta pro professor sobre isso.
Meaning
This informal command tells someone to ask the teacher about a particular matter that has just been mentioned. It’s a quick way to suggest that the listener should get clarification from the teacher.
When to use
Use it in casual conversation with classmates, friends, or younger students when you want them to seek clarification from the teacher. It’s not appropriate for formal written requests or when speaking to the teacher directly.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Perguntaproprofessorsobreisso
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Pergunta’ is the affirmative imperative form of ‘perguntar’ used with the implied subject ‘você’.
Contraction ‘pro’
‘pro’ is the colloquial contraction of ‘para o’, common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
Preposition ‘sobre’
‘sobre’ means ‘about/on’, introducing the topic of the question.
Demonstrative pronoun ‘isso’
‘isso’ points to something previously mentioned or visible to both speakers.
🗨In Conversation
Pergunta pro professor sobre isso.
Ask the teacher about that.
Claro, já vou falar com ele.
Sure, I’ll talk to him right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Pergunte pro professor sobre isso.
‘Pergunte’ is the formal imperative; using it with ‘pro’ sounds mismatched. Choose either the informal ‘Pergunta pro…’ or the formal ‘Pergunte ao professor…’.
Pergunta para o professor sobre isso.
While grammatically correct, the mix of the informal verb form with the full preposition sounds odd in casual speech. Use either the fully informal ‘Pergunta pro…’ or the fully formal ‘Pergunte ao professor…’.
↔Alternatives
Pergunte ao professor sobre isso.
Ask the teacher about that.
Fale com o professor a respeito disso.
Talk to the teacher about this.
Peça ao professor esclarecimentos sobre isso.
Ask the teacher for clarification about that.
Cultural Tip
‘Pro’ (para o) is typical of informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese. In formal contexts—emails, academic writing, or when speaking to the teacher—you should use the full form ‘para o professor’ or the more formal ‘ao professor’. Also, the imperative without the subject is common among peers, but adding ‘você’ (e.g., ‘Pergunte ao professor, por favor’) softens the request.