Portuguese Phrase
O que fazemos agora?
Meaning
Literally ‘What do we do now?’, this question is used to ask a group what the next step or action should be. It can also be heard as a rhetorical prompt to decide on an immediate plan.
When to use
Use it in meetings, group projects, or casual gatherings when the team needs to decide the next activity. It works both in formal settings (e.g., a business meeting) and informal ones (e.g., friends planning a night out).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oquefazemosagora?
Definite article O
Used here as part of the interrogative phrase 'O que' meaning 'what'.
Interrogative pronoun que
Introduces a question; it can be translated as 'what' or 'which'.
Verb fazer – present 1st plural
‘Fazemos’ is the present indicative of ‘fazer’ (to do/make) for ‘nós’, meaning ‘we do’.
Adverb agora
Means ‘now’; placed after the verb in most Brazilian Portuguese sentences.
🗨In Conversation
O que fazemos agora?
What do we do now?
Podemos ir ao cinema ou ficar em casa assistindo a um filme.
We could go to the movies or stay home and watch a film.
✕Common Mistakes
O que fazer agora?
Do not use the infinitive ‘fazer’ after ‘O que’; you need the conjugated form ‘fazemos’ for ‘we do’.
O que agora fazemos?
Avoid placing ‘agora’ before the verb; the natural order is verb + ‘agora’.
O que fazemos agora
Missing the question mark can make the sentence read as a statement rather than a question.
↔Alternatives
O que vamos fazer agora?
What are we going to do now?
Qual é o próximo passo?
What is the next step?
O que devemos fazer agora?
What should we do now?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking ‘O que fazemos agora?’ can signal a desire to keep the momentum going. It’s polite to follow up with a suggestion, as silence may be interpreted as indecision. In more formal contexts, you might replace ‘agora’ with ‘no momento’ for a slightly more polished tone.