What Does “Cadê” Mean in Portuguese and How Is It Used?

If you’re learning Portuguese and keep hearing Brazilians say cadê, you’ve probably wondered what it really means and how to use it naturally. Cadê in Portuguese is one of those everyday expressions that usually gets translated as “where is it?”, but in real Brazilian Portuguese it sounds more informal, more direct, and much more conversational than a simple translation suggests.

In this lesson, you’ll clearly understand what does cadê mean in Portuguese, when Brazilians prefer cadê instead of onde está, and why questions like “cadê você?” show up all the time in spoken language. With real-life examples and practical explanations, you’ll learn how to use cadê in Portuguese the way people actually speak in Brazil, without overthinking grammar or translating word by word.

Video: How to use CADÊ in Portuguese

Common phrases with CADÊ in Portuguese

In Brazil, if you ask a Brazilian what “CADÊ” means, they’ll probably tell you something like: “Cadê is basically the same as saying ONDE ESTÁ.”

For example:

• Cadê a minha mochila que eu deixei aqui na mesa?
• Cadê as pessoas que falaram que iriam vir hoje?
• Cadê a pizza? já chegou?

Words and expressions related to money in Portuguese

The word “cadê” in Portuguese basically means “where is it?” or “what happened to it?” (onde está). That said, it won’t work in every situation.

• Eu gostaria de saber onde você está. (correct)
• Eu gostaria de saber “cadê” você. (incorrect)

The rule for using CADÊ in Portuguese

The rule is simple: CADÊ in Portuguese is usually used at the beginning of a sentence.

For example:

• Cadê o relatório?
• Cadê o pedaço de pizza que deixei na geladeira?

Sometimes, you’ll also hear it at the end of a sentence to emphasize the idea of “I don’t see it” or “it never happened.”

Dan: – Eu te amo!

Alice: – Onde?

Dan: – O quê?

Alice: – Me mostra! Cadê esse amor? Eu não o vejo. Não posso tocar nele. Eu não sinto. Eu te ouço, escuto umas palavras… mas não posso fazer nada com suas palavras vazias.

– Closer (movie)

Article in Portuguese: What is the origin of the word “cadê” in Brazilian Portuguese?

For example:

• Você me falou que ia me ajudar a ajeitar a casa hoje e cadê que você ajudou?
• Ela sempre diz que vai começar esse projeto, mas cadê que começa?
• Se você convidasse a gente com certeza aceitaríamos, mas cadê que você convida?

KD or Cadê?

When chatting online, you’ll often see CADÊ written as “KD” — the letter K (ka) and the letter D (dê).

I recorded several videos talking about abbreviations and contractions in Portuguese at an advanced level.

For example, you might hear someone saying something like “ondiéquifica isso?”, which comes from “Onde é que fica isso?”

• Abbreviations and contractions – Part 1
• Abbreviations and contractions – Part 2
• Abbreviations and contractions – Part 3

Article in Portuguese: “Cadê você?” Is it wrong to say that?

Be careful with translations

Translating Portuguese directly into your native language can cause big problems. I recorded a video and an episode of the Philipe Brazuca Podcast talking exactly about this.

[Full post here]

Extra content

To keep improving your Portuguese, check out these 10 tips to learn Portuguese more effectively.