Portuguese Phrase
Que tipo de música é essa?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for the genre or style of a particular piece of music that is currently playing or being referenced. It’s a direct way to inquire about whether the song is pop, rock, samba, etc.
When to use
Use this question when you hear a song you like (or don’t understand) and want to know its genre, whether at a party, on the radio, or while streaming online. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in most social settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quetipodemúsicaéessa?
Que (interrogative)
Used to ask 'what' or 'which' in questions; it agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows.
tipo de (noun + preposition)
‘Tipo de’ forms a noun phrase meaning ‘type of’; the noun after ‘de’ specifies the category.
é (ser, 3rd person singular)
The present tense of the verb ‘ser’, used for identity or classification.
essa (demonstrative pronoun)
Points to something near the listener; feminine singular to match ‘música’.
🗨In Conversation
Que tipo de música é essa?
What kind of music is this?
É um forró bem animado, típico do Nordeste.
It’s an upbeat forró, typical of the Northeast.
✕Common Mistakes
Qual tipo de música é essa?
‘Qual tipo de…’ is grammatically possible but sounds redundant; native speakers prefer just ‘Que tipo de…’
Que tipo de música é esta?
Using ‘esta’ instead of ‘essa’ changes the reference; ‘esta’ points to something near the speaker, while ‘essa’ points to something near the listener or just heard.
Que tipo de música está essa?
Some learners mistakenly use ‘está’ (estar) for classification; the correct verb for identity or genre is ‘ser’.
↔Alternatives
Qual é o estilo desta música?
What is the style of this music?
Que gênero musical é essa?
What musical genre is this?
Que música é essa?
What song is this?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, people often differentiate between ‘tipo’ (type) and ‘estilo’ (style). ‘Tipo’ is more casual and covers broad categories like pop, rock, samba, while ‘estilo’ can refer to a more specific artistic approach. Also, use ‘essa’ for something you’re hearing right now; ‘esta’ would be used for something physically closer to you.