Portuguese Phrase
Pergunta se há novidades sobre a decisão deles.
Meaning
The sentence is a request to find out whether there is any new information concerning a decision that a group of people has made. It uses the idiomatic expression "há novidades" (there are news/updates) and the indirect‑question construction with "se".
When to use
Use this phrase in professional or informal settings when you need to ask a colleague, client, or friend for the latest status of a decision—e.g., in meetings, emails, or casual conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Perguntasehánovidadessobreadecisãodeles.
Imperative vs. 3rd‑person present
"Pergunta" can be the imperative (you ask) or the 3rd‑person singular present (he/she asks). In this phrase it functions as an imperative command.
Indirect yes/no question – "se"
"se" introduces an indirect question, equivalent to English "if/whether".
Impersonal verb "haver" – "há"
"há" is the present of the impersonal verb "haver", used to mean "there is/are"; it does not agree with a subject.
Possessive pronoun "deles"
"deles" means "their" (masculine plural) and follows the noun it modifies.
Preposition "sobre" + article
"sobre" (about) is followed by the definite article "a" because the noun "decisão" is specific.
🗨In Conversation
Você pode perguntar se há novidades sobre a decisão deles?
Can you ask if there are any updates about their decision?
Claro, vou mandar um e‑mail agora mesmo.
Sure, I’ll send an e‑mail right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Pergunta se tem novidades sobre a decisão deles.
Using "tem novidades" is acceptable in informal speech, but in written or formal contexts "há novidades" is preferred because "haver" is the impersonal verb for existence.
Pergunta se há novidades da decisão deles.
Some learners replace "sobre" with "da", which changes the nuance; "sobre" means "about" while "da" would mean "of the decision" and sounds odd here.
Pergunte se há novidades sobre a decisão deles.
If you keep the subject implicit (you), the imperative should be "Pergunta" (2nd person singular informal). "Pergunte" is the formal or 3rd‑person form and would need a different subject.
↔Alternatives
Pergunte se tem novidades sobre a decisão deles.
Ask if there are any news about their decision.
Verifique se há novidades sobre a decisão deles.
Check whether there are any updates about their decision.
Pergunte se surgiram novidades sobre a decisão deles.
Ask if any news has come up about their decision.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, indirect questions with "se" are extremely common and sound more polite than a direct "há novidades?". The phrase "há novidades" is idiomatic for "any news/updates" and is used both in formal business contexts and everyday conversation. Remember to keep the verb "haver" impersonal; you never say "*há eles*".