interrogative clause

[/ɪnˌtɛrəɡətɪv klɔːz/]
nounpl: interrogative clauses
oração interrogativa
1. A dependent or independent clause that asks a question, typically introduced by an interrogative pronoun, adjective, or adverb, and characterized by question word order or intonation
In the sentence 'I wonder what time the meeting starts,' the clause 'what time the meeting starts' is an interrogative clause.
Na frase 'Eu me pergunto a que horas a reunião começa', a oração 'a que horas a reunião começa' é uma oração interrogativa.
2. A grammatical structure used to express inquiry or seek information through a grammatically dependent question embedded within a larger sentence
She asked him whether he would attend the event.
Ela lhe perguntou se ele compareceria ao evento.
This is a formal grammatical term used primarily in educational and linguistic contexts in both Brazil and the United States. In Brazilian schools, 'oração interrogativa' is a key concept taught in Portuguese language classes. The term reflects the structural and syntactic analysis of language that is standard across Romance language instruction.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
question clauseinterrogative sentenceinquiry clauseembedded question
Antonyms / Antônimos
declarative clauseimperative clauseexclamatory clause

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
oração interrogativa
Standard term used in grammar instruction and linguistic analysis
São Paulo
oração interrogativa / frase interrogativa
Both terms are commonly used in educational contexts
Portugal
oração interrogativa
Same standard terminology as in Brazil; occasionally called 'frase interrogativa'
Rio de Janeiro
oração interrogativa
Standard usage; informal speech may simply say 'pergunta' (question)

Related Words

interrogative pronouninterrogative adjectiveinterrogative adverbquestion formationsubordinate clausedependent clause

Related Idioms & Phrases

pop the question
ask for the moon
ask around
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