Portuguese Phrase
Quem paga os consertos necessários?
Meaning
‘Who pays for the necessary repairs?’ – a direct question asking which person or party is responsible for covering the cost of repairs that must be done.
When to use
Use this sentence when discussing maintenance or fixing something that cannot be avoided – for example, car breakdowns, home renovations, or broken appliances. It’s common in both informal chats and more formal negotiations about responsibility.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quempagaosconsertosnecessários?
Quem (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about the subject of a sentence; it replaces the noun that would be the doer of the action.
paga (present indicative)
Third‑person singular of the verb pagar; agrees with the implied subject ‘quem’.
os (definite article, plural)
Introduces a specific, known set of nouns; must agree in gender and number with the noun.
consertos (noun, masculine plural)
Means ‘repairs’; plural because more than one repair is being referred to.
necessários (adjective, masculine plural)
Adjective must match the gender and number of the noun it modifies (consertos).
Question without inversion
Portuguese questions that start with an interrogative word (Quem, O que, etc.) keep the normal subject‑verb order.
🗨In Conversation
O ar‑condicionado quebrou de novo.
The air‑conditioner broke again.
Quem paga os consertos necessários?
Who pays for the necessary repairs?
✕Common Mistakes
Quem paga por os consertos necessários?
The verb pagar does not need the preposition ‘por’ when the direct object follows.
Quem paga os consertos necessário?
Adjective must agree in number with the noun ‘consertos’, so it should be ‘necessários’.
Ele paga os consertos necessários?
If you use ‘pagar’ with a pronoun, keep the verb in third person; avoid mixing with ‘ele/ela paga’ when the subject is ‘quem’.
↔Alternatives
Quem é responsável pelos consertos necessários?
Who is responsible for the necessary repairs?
Quem vai arcar com os consertos?
Who will foot the bill for the repairs?
Quem paga por esses consertos?
Who pays for these repairs?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking directly ‘Quem paga…?’ can feel blunt, especially in a professional setting. It’s often softened with a polite preface such as ‘Desculpe, mas…’ or by using the conditional ‘Quem pagaria…?’ to suggest a collaborative tone. Also, note that the word ‘conserto’ is more common in Brazil, while ‘reparo’ is used in Portugal.