Portuguese Phrase
Quando você vai me responder?
Meaning
Literally, “When are you going to answer me?” It asks the listener for the expected time of a reply, often used when waiting for an answer to a message, email, or request.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal or semi‑formal contexts when you need a timeline for a response—e.g., after sending a work email, a text, or a favor request. It’s polite but direct, so it works best with people you already have a comfortable rapport with.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quandovocêvaimeresponder?
Quando (question word)
Used to ask about time; it introduces a temporal question.
você (subject pronoun)
Second‑person singular pronoun; in Brazil it is the most common way to address someone informally.
vai + infinitive (periphrastic future)
The verb *ir* + infinitive expresses a near future action, similar to English “going to”.
me (clitic pronoun)
Object pronoun placed before the verb in Brazilian Portuguese; it means “to me”.
responder (infinitive)
The base form of the verb “to answer”. When combined with *vai* it forms the future construction.
question mark
All questions in Portuguese end with a question mark, but the intonation also rises at the end.
🗨In Conversation
Quando você vai me responder?
When are you going to answer me?
Vou responder ainda hoje, pode ficar tranquilo.
I’ll answer later today, you can relax.
✕Common Mistakes
Quando você vai responder‑me?
In Brazilian Portuguese the clitic pronoun comes before the verb, not after it.
Quando você vai me responde?
The verb must stay in the infinitive after *vai*; using the present tense *responde* is grammatically incorrect.
Quando é que você vai me responder?
While not wrong, adding *é que* makes the sentence longer and more colloquial; beginners often over‑use it.
↔Alternatives
Em que momento você vai me responder?
At what moment will you answer me?
Quando você me dá uma resposta?
When will you give me an answer?
Qual a sua previsão de resposta?
What’s your expected time for a reply?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking directly for a deadline can be seen as pushy if the relationship is very formal. To soften it, you can add a polite buffer such as “Você poderia me dizer quando vai responder?” or use “por favor”. In most casual settings, the straightforward “Quando você vai me responder?” is perfectly acceptable.