Phrase · 🌵 Regional expressions: North & Northeast

Tu vais pra onde, mana?

Where are you off to, sis?

C2casual questioninformalpt-BR-regAudio · coming soon

Why every word is where it is

Tu1pronounyou2nd sing. · subjectvais1verbare goingir · present · 2nd sing.praprepositionfor, to (spoken)paraondeadverbwhere,mana2nounsis (friendly address)mano · fem. · sing.?

Tu → vais: tu + 2nd-person verb
pra → onde: pra onde = where to

Why it's built this way

The notes match the numbers above.

1
Belém (and São Luís) keep «tu» with its own verb ending: tu vais, tu és. Regional & social variation in grammar →
2
In Pará and Amazonas, «mano» and «mana» address any friend, not just siblings.