Portuguese Phrase
Quem sai primeiro?
Meaning
The sentence asks which person will be the first to leave a place. It can refer to a literal departure (e.g., leaving a room, a party) or a figurative one (e.g., being the first to finish a task).
When to use
Use this question when a group is about to split up and you’re curious who will exit first—before a meeting ends, at the end of a class, or when friends are leaving a bar together.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quemsaiprimeiro?
Quem (interrogative pronoun)
Used to ask about a person; it does not change with gender or number.
sai (3rd‑person singular of sair)
Present indicative of the verb ‘sair’ (to leave/go out). No subject pronoun is needed because the verb ending already indicates the subject.
primeiro (adverbial use)
When placed after the verb, ‘primeiro’ works as an adverb meaning ‘first’ (in order of time).
Question word order
Portuguese questions often keep the same word order as statements; no inversion is required.
🗨In Conversation
Quem sai primeiro?
Who leaves first?
Eu acho que o João vai sair primeiro.
I think João will leave first.
✕Common Mistakes
Quem é o primeiro sai?
The verb should stay before ‘primeiro’; the correct order is ‘Quem sai primeiro?’. Adding ‘é o’ creates a noun phrase that doesn’t match the verb.
Quem sai o primeiro?
The article ‘o’ is unnecessary because ‘primeiro’ is used adverbially, not as a noun.
Quem sai primeiro??
Only one question mark is needed in standard writing; double question marks are considered informal or expressive.
↔Alternatives
Quem vai sair primeiro?
Who will leave first?
Quem é o primeiro a sair?
Who is the first to leave?
Quem sai antes?
Who leaves earlier?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘sair’ is the most common verb for leaving a place, whether it’s a room, a party, or a city. The question is informal and fits everyday conversation. If you need a more formal tone, you could say ‘Qual será a primeira pessoa a sair?’, but native speakers rarely use that construction in casual speech.