Breakdown of Porta'm un altre bol, perquè en aquest no hi cap tota l'amanida.
un
a
no
not
em
me
perquè
because
Questions & Answers about Porta'm un altre bol, perquè en aquest no hi cap tota l'amanida.
What does 'm in Porta'm mean, and why is it attached to the verb?
'm is the weak pronoun em, meaning me.
In affirmative commands in Catalan, weak pronouns usually go after the verb, not before it. So:
- Porta'm = porta + em = bring me
- after a vowel, em is reduced to 'm
Compare:
- Em portes un bol. = You bring me a bowl.
- Porta'm un bol. = Bring me a bowl.
So this is normal imperative pronoun placement.
Is Porta'm informal?
Yes. Porta'm is the informal singular imperative, used with tu.
The verb is portar = to bring. Its imperative here is:
- porta = bring! (to one person, informal)
Other possibilities would be:
- Porti'm = bring me... (formal singular, vostè)
- Porteu-me = bring me... (plural or polite plural, vosaltres/vostès, depending on context)
A useful extra point: with negative commands, the pronoun goes before the verb:
- No em portis aquest. = Don’t bring me this one.