Portuguese Phrase
Quanto você quer ganhar?
Meaning
Literally, 'How much do you want to earn?' It is used to ask someone about the salary or amount of money they hope to receive, often in a job interview or negotiation context.
When to use
Use this question when discussing compensation, salary expectations, or when someone is planning a freelance project and you need to know their desired fee.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quantovocêquerganhar?
Quanto
Interrogative adverb meaning 'how much' used to ask about quantity or amount.
você
Second‑person singular pronoun (formal or neutral) meaning 'you'.
quer
Third‑person singular present of the verb querer (to want).
ganhar
Infinitive verb meaning 'to earn' or 'to win', here used in the sense of earning money.
🗨In Conversation
Quanto você quer ganhar?
How much do you want to earn?
Eu gostaria de ganhar cerca de três mil reais por mês.
I would like to earn about three thousand reais per month.
✕Common Mistakes
Quanta você quer ganhar?
Quanta is the feminine form; the correct interrogative for 'how much' (quantity) is 'quanto' regardless of the gender of the noun that follows.
Quanto você queres ganhar?
In Brazilian Portuguese the verb querer is conjugated as 'quer' for both formal 'você' and informal 'tu' (in most regions). 'Queres' is European Portuguese.
Quanto você quer ganhará?
Ganhará is future tense; the question is about the desired amount now, so the infinitive 'ganhar' is required.
↔Alternatives
Qual o seu salário desejado?
What is your desired salary?
Quanto você espera receber?
How much do you expect to receive?
Qual valor você gostaria de ganhar?
What amount would you like to earn?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, discussing salary directly can be considered a bit forward, especially in the early stages of a job interview. It is common to first talk about the role and responsibilities, then the employer may ask about your expectations. Using a polite tone and adding a softener like 'poderia me dizer' (could you tell me) can make the question feel less abrupt.