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Portuguese Phrase

Há quanto tempo você trabalha lá?

/a ˈkwɐ̃.tu ˈtẽ.pu voˈse tɾaˈba.ʎa la/
Meaning"How long have you worked there?"
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Meaning

This phrase literally translates to "There is how much time you work there?" but means "How long have you worked there?" It's used to inquire about the duration of someone's employment or presence in a particular place or situation. The 'há' at the beginning indicates a duration that started in the past and continues to the present.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to ask someone about the length of time they have been doing something or have been in a specific location. It's commonly used in informal and semi-formal conversations, such as when meeting new colleagues, catching up with friends, or during job interviews.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Háquanto tempovocêtrabalhalá

1

Há (from Haver)

'Há' is the impersonal form of the verb 'haver' (to have/there to be) and is used to express duration, meaning 'ago' or 'for (a period of time)'. When used at the beginning of a question about duration, it means 'How long...?'

2

Quanto tempo

This literally means 'how much time'. When combined with 'há' at the beginning of a question, it forms the common interrogative phrase 'Há quanto tempo?' meaning 'How long?'

3

Você

'Você' is the most common informal and semi-formal pronoun for 'you' in Brazilian Portuguese. It's widely used in most regions of Brazil.

4

Trabalha (from Trabalhar)

'Trabalha' is the third-person singular present tense conjugation of the verb 'trabalhar' (to work), agreeing with 'você'.

5

Lá

'Lá' is an adverb meaning 'there', referring to a place distant from both the speaker and the listener.

🗨In Conversation

A

Gostei muito do seu trabalho aqui na empresa.

I really liked your work here at the company.

Obrigado! Há quanto tempo você trabalha lá?

Thanks! How long have you worked there?

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Quanto tempo você trabalha lá?

    Omitting 'Há' changes the meaning to 'How much time do you work there?' (referring to daily hours), not 'How long have you worked there?' (referring to duration).

  • Por quanto tempo você trabalha lá?

    While 'por quanto tempo' can mean 'for how long', it often implies a future duration or a completed past action, not an ongoing one. 'Há quanto tempo' is specifically for actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

↔Alternatives

  • Desde quando você trabalha lá?

    Since when do you work there?

  • Há quanto tempo você está aqui?

    How long have you been here?

pt

Cultural Tip

Brazilians are generally quite open about discussing work and personal life, so asking about someone's tenure at a job is usually considered a normal and polite way to show interest. However, always consider the context and your relationship with the person. In more formal settings, or with someone you've just met, you might wait for them to volunteer information about their work history.