Portuguese Phrase
Quem está falando?
Meaning
The sentence asks the listener to identify the person who is currently speaking. It is the Portuguese equivalent of “Who is speaking?” and is used whenever you need to know who is talking, especially in phone calls, meetings, or group conversations.
When to use
Use this question when you hear a voice but don’t know who it belongs to – for example, when you pick up the phone, join a conference call, or enter a room where someone is already talking.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quemestáfalando?
Quem (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about a person; it does not change with gender or number.
Estar (present indicative)
The verb ‘estar’ expresses a temporary state; here it forms the progressive with a gerund.
Gerúndio (falando)
The gerund of ‘falar’ indicates an ongoing action, equivalent to the English ‘-ing’ form.
Progressive construction
In Portuguese, the progressive is built with ‘estar + gerúndio’ (e.g., está falando = is speaking).
🗨In Conversation
Quem está falando?
Who is speaking?
Sou eu, Maria.
It's me, Maria.
✕Common Mistakes
Quem é falando?
‘É’ is the verb ‘ser’, which is used for permanent characteristics, not for ongoing actions.
Quem está falado?
‘Falado’ is the past participle, not the gerund; it does not convey an ongoing action.
Quem está falar?
The infinitive ‘falar’ cannot be used after ‘estar’; you need the gerund ‘falando’.
↔Alternatives
Quem fala?
Who speaks?
Quem é que está falando?
Who is it that is speaking?
Alô, quem fala?
Hello, who is speaking?
Qual é a sua identidade?
What is your identity?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the most common phone greeting is “Alô, quem fala?” which is informal but polite. “Quem está falando?” sounds a bit more formal and is often used in professional settings or when you want to be extra courteous. In some regions, people may add “por favor” after the question to soften it: “Quem está falando, por favor?”.