CADÊ vs ONDE

Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!) 

“Cadê você?” (Where are you?) ou “Onde você está?” (Where are you?) 

When do you say “cadê” or “onde”? 

In a few words, “Cadê?” means exactly the same as “Onde está?”, but there are many nuances regarding the use of these terms. 

In this lesson, you’re going to learn to ask the location of things in four different ways: 

Cadê? (Where is it?) 

Onde está? (Where is it?) 

Onde é? (Where is it?) 

Onde fica? (Where is it?) 

 

👉 This lesson comes with a free worksheet with the summary of the lesson and exercises for you to practice. Click here to download your worksheet. 

 

 

Cadê

Let’s start by the little word “cadê,” a genuinely Brazilian word that, as far as we know, isn’t used in other Portuguese-speaking countries. 

“Cadê” means the same as “onde está.” It’s an informal term used to ask the temporary location of people, animals, or objects. 

Generally, the term “cadê” carries a certain emotion. For example, you’re waiting for someone and want to know where they are and how long they’ll take to arrive. In that case, you could send a message asking: 

Cadê você? Estou aqui te esperando! (Where are you? I’m here waiting for you!) 

Or you agreed to meet a friend at a party and can’t find her. You can ask someone else: 

Cadê a Flávia? Ela disse que viria. (Where’s Flávia? She said she would come.) 

Or you’re looking for something at home that wasn’t where you expected it to be. 

Cadê o livro que eu tinha deixado aqui? (Where’s the book I left here?) 

Notice that in all these examples, the term “cadê” carries a certain expectation of finding a person or thing you expected to be in a place but wasn’t. 

Two important points about the term “cadê”: 

1. The word “cadê” is a fixed, invariable expression that isn’t used with any verb. It’s used only in questions, usually direct questions with a question mark. 

2. We don’t use the term “cadê” in sentences that aren’t questions. In that case, we use the term “onde.” For example:

Cadê o João? Não sei onde ele está. (Where’s João? I don’t know where he is.) 

In this second sentence, “I don’t know where,” I can’t say “cadê,” I must say “onde.” 

What is the origin of the word “cadê”? 

“Cadê” comes from the contraction of an old phrase “que é de,” which was used centuries ago. This phrase was reduced to “quede” and later turned into “cadê.”  

The terms “quede” or “quedê” are also used in some regions of Brazil in the same way as “cadê.” 

Onde está

“Onde está” is the most standard way to ask the temporary location of people, animals, or objects. 

In this case, we need to conjugate the verb “estar” according to the subject of the sentence. 

For example: 

Onde está a Maria? (Where is Maria?) 

Você sabe onde estão minhas chaves? (Do you know where my keys are?) 

Notice that the word “onde” can also be used in non-interrogative sentences. 

For example: 

Eu sei onde estão suas chaves. (I know where your keys are.) 

Este é o mercado onde faço compras. (This is the market where I shop.) 

Onde está vs Onde é

Now let’s look at the difference between “onde está” and “onde é.” It’s important to remember how we use the verbs “ser” and “estar.” As you probably already know, the verb “estar” is used to talk about temporary states, while the verb “ser” is used to talk about permanent or lasting states. 

When we talk about location, we use the verb “estar” for things that aren’t fixed and can change place every five minutes. For example, people, animals, and objects that aren’t fixed. See some examples in sentences: 

Onde estão as frutas que comprei? (Where are the fruits I bought?) 

Onde está o seu carro? (Where is your car?) 

We use the verb “ser” for things that are fixed and are unlikely to change place from one minute to the next. For example, buildings, businesses, and rooms in the house. 

Here are some examples in sentences: 

Onde é o banheiro? (Where is the bathroom?) 

Onde é seu escritório? (Where is your office?) 

We also use “onde é” to ask the location of events or activities. In this case, “onde é” has the meaning of “where is it happening” or “where will it happen.” 

For example: 

Onde é a festa? (Where is the party?) 

Onde é a reunião? (Where is the meeting?) 

Onde fica

We also use the question “onde fica” to ask the location of fixed things. 

Here we are using the verb “ficar,” which also has the meaning of “to be located.” 

In daily life, we can use “onde fica” much more instead of “onde é,” but the meaning is the same. Remember to conjugate the verbs. 

For example: 

Onde é seu escritório? (Where is your office?) 

Onde fica seu escritório? (Where is your office located?) 

Onde são os quartos? (Where are the rooms?) 

Onde ficam os quartos? (Where are the rooms located?) 

How to answer questions 

Now that you already know how to ask questions using the terms “cadê,” “onde está,” “onde é,” and “onde fica,” it’s important to know how to answer questions of this kind. The answer will depend a lot on the context, but a very common and simple way is to use in the answer the same verb used in the question. In the case of “cadê”, since it isn’t a verb, we should answer with the verb “estar”.  

Let’s practice! 

How would you answer the following questions? (See the answers at the bottom.) 

1. Onde estão minhas chaves? (Where are my keys?)

__________ na gaveta. (__________ in the drawer.) 

2. Onde fica seu escritório? (Where is your office located?)

__________ no centro da cidade. (__________ downtown.) 

3. Onde é a reunião? (Where is the meeting?)

__________ na sala de conferências. (__________ in the conference room.) 

4. Cadê a Maria? (Where’s Maria?)

__________ no banheiro. (__________in the bathroom.) 

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Respostas:  

1. Onde estão minhas chaves? (Where are my keys?)

Estão na gaveta. (They are in the drawer.) 

2. Onde fica seu escritório? (Where is your office located?)

Fica no centro da cidade. (It’s downtown.) 

3. Onde é a reunião? (Where is the meeting?)

É na sala de conferências. (It’s in the conference room.) 

4. Cadê a Maria? (Where’s Maria?)

Tá no banheiro. (She’s in the bathroom.) 

Free worksheet! 

This lesson includes a free worksheet with a summary of the lesson and exercises for you to practice. Click here to download your worksheet. 

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