Portuguese Phrase
Como funciona esse tratamento?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for an explanation of the mechanism or process behind a specific treatment. It can refer to medical, cosmetic, therapeutic, or even technical procedures.
When to use
Use this question when you want to understand the steps, principles, or science behind a treatment that has been suggested or is being discussed, such as a doctor explaining a therapy, a beauty specialist describing a skin regimen, or a technician outlining a cleaning process.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comofuncionaessetratamento?
Como (How)
Interrogative adverb used to ask about manner or way something happens.
funciona (verb funcionar)
Third‑person singular present of 'funcionar' meaning 'to work' or 'to function'.
esse (demonstrative pronoun)
Points to something near the listener; masculine singular, matches 'tratamento'.
tratamento (noun)
Masculine singular noun meaning 'treatment' (medical, cosmetic, etc.).
Question mark
In Portuguese, the interrogative sentence is closed with a single '?' (the opening '¿' is not used).
🗨In Conversation
Como funciona esse tratamento?
How does this treatment work?
Ele combina luz pulsada com um creme antioxidante para estimular a produção de colágeno.
It combines pulsed light with an antioxidant cream to stimulate collagen production.
✕Common Mistakes
Como funciona o tratamento?
Using 'o' is not wrong, but it changes the reference to a treatment already known to both speakers; 'esse' emphasizes that the speaker is pointing to a specific treatment being shown or mentioned.
Como funcionar esse tratamento?
The infinitive 'funcionar' cannot be used here; you need the conjugated form 'funciona' for a question.
Como funciona esse tratamento
In written Portuguese, a question must end with a question mark.
↔Alternatives
De que maneira esse tratamento funciona?
In what way does this treatment work?
Qual é o modo de ação desse tratamento?
What is the mode of action of this treatment?
Como esse tratamento age?
How does this treatment act?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking 'Como funciona esse tratamento?' is perfectly polite in both formal (doctor‑patient) and informal (friend‑friend) settings. If you want to sound more formal, you can add 'por favor' at the end or use the third‑person verb form with a title, e.g., 'Como funciona o tratamento, doutor?'. In Portugal, the same phrase is used, but you might hear 'Como funciona este tratamento?' where 'este' points to something closer to the speaker.