Portuguese Phrase
Que efeitos isso tem a longo prazo?
Meaning
The sentence asks about the long‑term consequences of a particular action, decision, or situation. It seeks an evaluation of how something will affect the future, often in health, environment, policy, or personal habits.
When to use
Use this question when discussing the future impact of a policy, a medical treatment, a habit, or any event whose results will be felt over months or years. It is appropriate in both formal debates and casual conversations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Queefeitosissotemalongoprazo?
Que (interrogative)
Used to ask about the nature or identity of something; here it introduces a question about effects.
efeitos (noun, plural)
Plural noun meaning 'effects' or 'consequences'.
isso (demonstrative pronoun)
Refers to something previously mentioned; it is singular, so the verb agrees with it.
tem (verb ter, 3rd pers. sg.)
Present tense of 'ter' meaning 'has/has'. It matches the singular subject 'isso', not the plural noun 'efeitos'.
a longo prazo (prepositional phrase)
Literally 'in the long term'; a fixed expression used to talk about future consequences.
🗨In Conversation
Estou pensando em mudar para uma dieta vegana.
I'm thinking about switching to a vegan diet.
Que efeitos isso tem a longo prazo?
What effects does that have in the long term?
✕Common Mistakes
Que efeitos isso têm a longo prazo?
The verb should be singular 'tem' because the subject is 'isso', not the plural noun 'efeitos'.
Que efeitos isso tem no longo prazo?
While 'no longo prazo' is understandable, the idiomatic expression is 'a longo prazo'.
Que efeitos esses tem a longo prazo?
If you replace 'isso' with a plural subject, you must also change the verb to 'têm'.
↔Alternatives
Quais são os efeitos a longo prazo?
What are the long‑term effects?
Que consequências isso traz a longo prazo?
What consequences does this bring in the long term?
Que impactos isso tem no futuro?
What impacts does this have in the future?
Cultural Tip
In Portuguese, 'a longo prazo' is the standard way to refer to the distant future, and it works in both European and Brazilian varieties. In more formal writing you might see 'no longo prazo', but the shorter 'a longo prazo' is preferred in everyday speech. Remember that the verb agrees with the demonstrative pronoun (isso), not with the plural noun (efeitos).