Notice the position of the verb and subject (actor) in the following sentences.
| Spanish | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| 1. ¿Cuándo va María? | Quando Maria vai? (or: Quando vai Maria?) |
| 2. ¿Dónde está Pablo? | Onde Paulo está? (or: Onde está Paulo?) |
| 3. ¿A qué hora sale el tren? | A que horas o trem sai? (or: A que horas sai o trem?) |
| 4. ¿Cuánto gana él? | Quanto êle ganha? (or: Quanto ganha êle?) |
| 5. ¿Cómo está su esposa? | Como a sua espósa está? (or: Como está a sua espósa?) |
In questions beginning with interrogative words, where the interrogative word itself is not the subject (actor) of the sentence, most Spanish speakers will place the actor after the verb. In contrast, Portuguese speakers will most likely place the actor before the verb, though in many instances, as we have indicated, the reverse pattern may also be heard. In both languages, if the interrogative word is itself the subject of the sentence, it can only precede the verb.
| Spanish | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| 6. ¿Quién sabe? | Quem sabe? |
| 7. ¿Qué pasó? | O que passou? |
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