Portuguese is a Romance language that is spoken by over 250 million people worldwide. It is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, and East Timor. The Portuguese language follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) word order in simple sentences. However, this order can change depending on the type of sentence and the emphasis the speaker wants to give to certain words.
Simple Sentence
A simple sentence is a sentence that contains a subject, a verb, and an object. It expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. In Portuguese, the subject comes before the verb, and the object usually comes after the verb. For example:
Eu amo a minha família. (I love my family.)
O gato comeu o rato. (The cat ate the mouse.)
Compound Sentence
A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as “e” – and, “ou” – or, “mas” – but). In Portuguese, the word order in each independent clause follows the same pattern as a simple sentence. For example:
Eu gosto de estudar português, mas prefiro ler um livro em inglês. (I like to study Portuguese, but I prefer to read a book in English.)
Complex Sentence
A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause that is introduced by a subordinating conjunction (such as “porque” – because, “embora” – although, “quando” – when). In Portuguese, the dependent clause usually comes before the independent clause. For example:
Embora eu esteja cansado, vou ao cinema. (Although I’m tired, I’m going to the cinema.)
Active Sentence
An active sentence is a sentence in which the subject performs the action of the verb. In Portuguese, the subject comes before the verb, and the object usually comes after the verb. For example:
Maria comprou uma bicicleta. (Maria bought a bike.)
Passive Sentence
A passive sentence is a sentence in which the subject receives the action of the verb. In Portuguese, the passive voice is formed by using the verb “ser” (to be) + past participle of the main verb + preposition “por” (by). For example:
A bicicleta foi comprada por Maria. (The bike was bought by Maria.)
Declarative Sentence
A declarative sentence is a sentence that makes a statement or declaration. In Portuguese, the word order follows the SVO pattern. For example:
O livro é interessante. (The book is interesting.)
Interrogative Sentence
An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a question. In Portuguese, the word order is the same as a declarative sentence, except that the sentence begins with an interrogative word (such as “quem” – who, “o que” – what, “como” – how). For example:
Onde fica o supermercado? (Where is the supermarket?)
Imperative Sentence
An imperative sentence is a sentence that gives a command or direction. In Portuguese, the subject is usually omitted, and the verb comes first. For example:
Fala mais devagar. (Speak more slowly.)
Negative Sentence
A negative sentence is a sentence that expresses the opposite of a positive statement. In Portuguese, the word “não” (not) is placed before the verb. For example:
Eu não gosto de filmes de terror. (I don’t like horror movies.)
Affirmative Sentence
An affirmative sentence is a sentence that expresses a positive statement. In Portuguese, the word order follows the SVO pattern. For example:
Eu amo viajar. (I love to travel.)
Elliptical Sentence
An elliptical sentence is a sentence in which some words are omitted but can be inferred from the context. In Portuguese, the omitted words are usually the subject or verb. For example:
Você vai à praia? (Are you going to the beach?) – Vou. (I am.)
Emphatic Sentence
An emphatic sentence is a sentence that emphasizes a particular word or idea. In Portuguese, the emphasized word usually comes first. For example:
Foi a Maria que comprou a bicicleta. (It was Maria who bought the bike.)
Inverted Sentence
An inverted sentence is a sentence in which the word order is changed for emphasis or to form a question. In Portuguese, the verb comes before the subject. For example:
Vem ela agora. (Here she comes now.)
Exclamatory Sentence
An exclamatory sentence is a sentence that expresses strong emotion or surprise. In Portuguese, an exclamation point is placed at the end of the sentence. For example:
Que bela vista! (What a beautiful view!)
Rhetorical Sentence
A rhetorical sentence is a sentence that is asked to make a point, rather than to receive an answer. In Portuguese, the word order is the same as an interrogative sentence. For example:
Quem não quer ser feliz? (Who doesn’t want to be happy?)
Indirect Sentence
An indirect sentence is a sentence in which the speaker reports what someone else said. In Portuguese, the verb tense and word order may change depending on the context. For example:
Ele disse que ia ao cinema. (He said he was going to the cinema.)
Direct Sentence
A direct sentence is a sentence in which the speaker reports what someone else said using quotation marks. In Portuguese, the verb tense and word order must match the original sentence. For example:
Ele disse: “Vou ao cinema”. (He said: “I’m going to the cinema.”)
Subordinate Sentence
A subordinate sentence is a sentence that depends on another sentence to make sense. In Portuguese, the subordinate clause usually comes before the main clause. For example:
Quando eu terminar o trabalho, vou para casa. (When I finish work, I’ll go home.)
Conditional Sentence
A conditional sentence is a sentence that expresses a condition and its consequence. In Portuguese, the word “se” (if) is used to introduce the condition. For example:
Se chover, não vou sair. (If it rains, I won’t go out.)
Indefinite Sentence
An indefinite sentence is a sentence that does not have a clear subject or object. In Portuguese, these sentences usually begin with the word “há” (there is/are) or “é” (it is). For example:
Há muitas pessoas na rua. (There are many people on the street.)
Conclusion
In summary, the Portuguese language follows a subject-verb-object word order in simple sentences, but this can change depending on the type of sentence and the emphasis the speaker wants to give to certain words. It is important to understand the different types of sentences and their word orders to effectively communicate in Portuguese. By learning these basic sentence structures and practicing them in context, beginners can start to build their language skills and communicate more effectively in Portuguese.
Originally posted 2023-07-15 06:31:13.