Portuguese Phrase
Essas coisas são pra uso pessoal?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the items being referred to are intended only for the speaker’s own use, not for commercial or shared purposes. It can be a polite way to confirm a policy or a request before borrowing or purchasing something.
When to use
Use this question when you need clarification about the intended purpose of objects – for example, in a store, at work, or when a friend offers you something that might be restricted to personal use only.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Essascoisassãoprausopessoal?
Demonstrative + Noun
‘Essas’ is the feminine plural demonstrative pronoun that must agree in gender and number with the noun ‘coisas’.
Ser vs. Estar
Use ‘ser’ (são) for permanent characteristics or classification; here it classifies the objects as belonging to a category (personal‑use).
Pra (para)
‘Pra’ is the colloquial contraction of ‘para’; it is perfectly natural in spoken Brazilian Portuguese but avoid it in very formal writing.
Noun + Adjective Order
In Portuguese the noun comes before the adjective, so ‘uso pessoal’ (personal use) not ‘pessoal uso’.
Question Mark
The whole sentence is a yes‑no question, so the intonation rises at the end and a question mark is used in writing.
🗨In Conversation
Essas coisas são pra uso pessoal?
Are these things for personal use?
Sim, são apenas para uso individual.
Yes, they are only for individual use.
✕Common Mistakes
Essas coisas é pra uso pessoal?
Verb must agree with the plural subject; use ‘são’ not ‘é’.
Essas coisas são para uso pessoal?
‘Para’ is correct, but the mistake is using it in a very informal spoken context where ‘pra’ sounds more natural.
Essas coisas são para uso pessoal
Missing the question mark changes the sentence from a question to a statement.
Essas coisas são para uso pessoais?
‘Uso’ is a singular noun; the adjective must stay singular – ‘pessoal’, not ‘pessoais’.
↔Alternatives
Esses itens são para uso pessoal?
Are these items for personal use?
Essas coisas são de uso pessoal?
Are these things of personal use?
Essas coisas são para uso particular?
Are these things for private use?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘pra’ is the everyday spoken form of ‘para’; you’ll hear it in casual conversation, on TV, and in songs. In formal contexts (e.g., business emails, academic writing) it’s safer to use the full ‘para’. Also, ‘coisas’ is a very generic word – if you want to sound more precise, replace it with ‘itens’, ‘objetos’ or the specific noun (e.g., ‘ferramentas’, ‘documentos’).