Portuguese Phrase
Com quem estou falando?
Meaning
A polite way to ask the identity of the person you are currently speaking to, often used on the phone or when you didn’t catch the speaker’s name.
When to use
Use it at the start of a phone call, during a video conference, or in any situation where you need to confirm who you’re talking to, especially if you didn’t hear the name clearly.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comquemestoufalando?
Com (preposition)
Used to indicate the person you are speaking with; it contracts with the following word if needed (e.g., comigo).
Quem (interrogative pronoun)
Means “who” and is used for asking about a person’s identity.
Estar (present 1st person singular)
‘Estou’ is the first‑person singular of estar, used for temporary states or actions in progress.
Falando (gerund)
Gerund form of falar; combined with estar it creates the progressive ‘am speaking.’
🗨In Conversation
Com quem estou falando?
Who am I speaking with?
Olá, aqui é a Maria da recepção.
Hello, this is Maria from reception.
✕Common Mistakes
Com que estou falando?
‘Que’ means ‘what’ or ‘that’; the correct interrogative for a person is ‘quem’.
Com quem está falando?
‘Está’ is third‑person singular; you need the first‑person form ‘estou’ because you are the one speaking.
Com quem estou falado?
‘Falado’ is the past participle; the progressive form requires the gerund ‘falando’.
Sem quem estou falando?
The preposition must be ‘com’ (with); ‘sem’ means ‘without’ and changes the meaning entirely.
↔Alternatives
Quem está falando?
Who is speaking?
Com quem eu falo?
Who do I talk to?
Posso saber com quem estou falando?
May I know who I'm speaking with?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, it’s common to start a call with a brief greeting before asking this question. In more formal settings (e.g., business calls), you might say “Com quem eu falo, por favor?” to sound extra courteous. In Portugal, people often use “Quem fala?” as a shorter, informal alternative.