Portuguese Phrase
Quem quer responder essa pergunta?
Meaning
The sentence asks which person (or people) would like to answer the question that has just been posed. It is a direct, neutral‑tone inquiry.
When to use
Use it in classrooms, meetings, or any group setting where you need a volunteer to answer a previously asked question. It works both in formal and informal contexts, though ‘quer’ sounds slightly more casual than ‘deseja’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quemquerresponderessapergunta?
Quem (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about a person; it functions like ‘who’ in English and does not change with gender or number.
quer (present of querer)
Third‑person singular of the verb ‘querer’ (to want). In questions it often replaces ‘deseja’ for a more informal tone.
responder (infinitive verb)
The infinitive follows ‘quer’ to indicate the action the subject wants to perform.
essa (demonstrative adjective)
Points to a specific noun that is close to the listener; agrees in gender and number with ‘pergunta’.
pergunta (noun)
Means ‘question’; the object of the verb ‘responder’.
Question mark
In Portuguese, the interrogative sentence is closed with a single ‘?’ (the opening ‘¿’ is not used).
🗨In Conversation
Quem quer responder essa pergunta?
Who wants to answer this question?
Eu quero responder.
I want to answer.
✕Common Mistakes
Qual quer responder essa pergunta?
‘Qual’ asks about a thing, not a person. Use ‘quem’ for people.
Quem querer responder essa pergunta?
The infinitive ‘querer’ should be conjugated; you cannot say ‘querer quer responder…’
Quem quer responder aquela pergunta?
If the question is not close to the listener, use ‘aquela pergunta’ instead of ‘essa pergunta’.
↔Alternatives
Quem deseja responder a esta pergunta?
Who wishes to answer this question?
Alguém quer responder a pergunta?
Does anyone want to answer the question?
Quem se dispõe a responder essa pergunta?
Who is willing to answer this question?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘quer’ is the most common way to ask for a volunteer because it sounds friendly and informal. In more formal settings (e.g., a business meeting), you might replace it with ‘deseja’ or ‘gostaria de’. Also, note that the demonstrative ‘essa’ points to a question that has just been asked; if the question is farther away in the conversation, you would use ‘aquela’.