Portuguese Phrase
A gente vira à esquerda ou à direita?
Meaning
The speaker is asking the group whether they should turn left or turn right. It’s a quick way to confirm the direction before proceeding.
When to use
Use this question when you’re navigating together – in a car, on foot, or while giving directions to a friend. It’s informal and works best in everyday conversation.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Agenteviraàesquerdaouàdireita?
A gente
Colloquial first‑person plural pronoun meaning “we”; conjugates verbs in third‑person singular.
vira
Present indicative of virar (to turn); third‑person singular matches “a gente”.
à (a + a)
Contraction of the preposition a + the feminine definite article a, used before feminine nouns like esquerda/direita.
esquerda / direita
Feminine nouns meaning “left” and “right”, used with the preposition à.
ou
Coordinating conjunction meaning “or”, used to present alternative choices.
🗨In Conversation
A gente vira à esquerda ou à direita?
Do we turn left or right?
Vamos virar à esquerda, tem um parque logo ali.
Let’s turn left; there’s a park right there.
✕Common Mistakes
A gente vira a esquerda ou a direita?
Missing the accent; the correct form is the contraction "à" (a + a).
A gente viramos à esquerda ou à direita?
If you mistakenly use "viramos" (first‑person plural), it no longer matches the pronoun "a gente".
A gente vira à esquerda e à direita?
Using "e" (and) changes the meaning to “both left and right”, which is illogical here.
↔Alternatives
Vamos virar à esquerda ou à direita?
Shall we turn left or right?
Devemos virar à esquerda ou à direita?
Should we turn left or right?
É para virar à esquerda ou à direita?
Is it to turn left or right?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, "a gente" is the go‑to informal way to say “we”. It’s perfectly natural in spoken Portuguese but less common in formal writing or in Portugal, where "nós" is preferred. Also, remember the accent on the preposition "à"; omitting it ("a esquerda") is a frequent mistake that sounds un‑native.