Quick answer
Quem asks about people, que asks what kind or what thing, and qual selects or identifies.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
quem
who
Use quem for asking about a person.
que
what or which
Use que for asking for a type, name, definition, or open-ended answer.
qual
which or what
Use qual for choosing or identifying from a set of possible answers.
How to choose
- quem: Choose quem if the sentence points to asking about a person.
- que: Choose que if the sentence points to asking for a type, name, definition, or open-ended answer.
- qual: Choose qual if the sentence points to choosing or identifying from a set of possible answers.
Examples
Quem é ela?
Who is she?
Que dia é hoje?
What day is it today?
Qual é o seu nome?
What is your name?
Common trap
English “what” may become que or qual. Use the shape of the answer—not the English question word—to choose.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with quem, then once with que. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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