Portuguese Phrase
Quando vais sair?
Meaning
Literally ‘When are you going to leave?’, this question asks the listener about the time they plan to depart. It is used to coordinate plans, check punctuality, or simply satisfy curiosity about someone’s schedule.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal settings—among friends, family, or classmates—when you need to know the exact moment someone intends to leave. It sounds too casual for a formal business meeting; in that case you’d opt for a more polite construction.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quandovaissair?
Quando (interrogative adverb)
‘Quando’ asks about the time of an event. It can be used alone or with ‘a que horas’ for a more specific time question.
Ir + infinitive (near future)
In Portuguese the present of ‘ir’ + infinitive expresses a planned action in the near future, similar to English ‘going to’. Here ‘vais’ (2nd‑person singular) + ‘sair’ means ‘you are going to leave’.
Second‑person singular (tu) vs. formal ‘você’
‘Vais’ is used with the informal ‘tu’. If you are speaking formally you would say ‘vai’ (3rd‑person singular) with ‘você’.
Verb ‘sair’
‘Sair’ means ‘to go out, to leave, to exit’. It is an irregular verb; the infinitive is used after ‘ir’ in the near‑future construction.
🗨In Conversation
Quando vais sair?
When are you going to leave?
Vou sair às oito, então nos encontramos às sete e meia.
I’m leaving at eight, so we’ll meet at half past seven.
✕Common Mistakes
Quando vai sair?
‘Vai’ is the 3rd‑person singular form used with ‘você’. Using it with ‘tu’ changes the subject and sounds mismatched.
Quando vais sair
Missing the question mark or intonation can make it sound like a statement rather than a question.
Quando vai sair?
If you’re speaking formally, you should use ‘vai’ instead of ‘vais’. Mixing informal verb form with a formal pronoun is a common error.
↔Alternatives
A que horas vais sair?
At what time are you going to leave?
Quando é que vais sair?
When is it that you’re going to leave?
Quando pretendes sair?
When do you intend to leave?
Quando vais embora?
When are you leaving?
Cultural Tip
In Portugal and Brazil, asking about departure times is a common way to keep plans on track, especially because social gatherings often start a bit later than the stated time. Using ‘quando’ is perfectly natural, but if you need a precise hour, ‘a que horas’ is preferred. Remember that ‘tu’ (and thus ‘vais’) is informal; in most of Brazil the default second‑person pronoun is ‘você’, which would change the verb to ‘vai’.