Portuguese Phrase
O que você tá vendo?
Meaning
This is a very common, informal way to ask someone what they are looking at or watching. The word 'tá' is a spoken contraction of 'está', and 'vendo' is the gerund form of the verb 'ver' (to see/watch). It implies a continuous action happening right now.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual settings with friends, family, or colleagues when you see them looking at a phone, TV, or something interesting in the street. It is the go-to expression for satisfying your curiosity about someone's current focus.
✦Grammar Breakdown
O quevocêtávendo
O que
This phrase means 'What' when it acts as the object of the question at the start of a sentence.
Tá (Estar)
A shortened version of 'está' used in the present continuous tense to describe ongoing actions.
Gerund (-ndo)
The ending '-ndo' is equivalent to the English '-ing', indicating that the action of seeing/watching is currently in progress.
🗨In Conversation
O que você tá vendo?
What are you watching?
Um vídeo sobre culinária brasileira.
A video about Brazilian cooking.
✕Common Mistakes
O que você está ver?
In Brazilian Portuguese, the present continuous requires the gerund form 'vendo' rather than the infinitive 'ver'.
O que você é vendo?
Use the verb 'estar' (or its contraction 'tá') for temporary actions, never 'ser'.
↔Alternatives
O que você está assistindo?
What are you watching? (More formal/specific to media)
O que você tá olhando?
What are you looking at?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, the contraction of 'está' to 'tá' is nearly universal in spoken language. Using the full word 'está' in a casual conversation can actually make you sound overly formal or like a textbook. Embracing these contractions is a key step to sounding like a local with Speeek.