Word
O contribuinte pode deduzir a despesa médica.
Meaning
The taxpayer can deduct the medical expense.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Breakdown of O contribuinte pode deduzir a despesa médica.
poder
to be able to
o contribuinte
the taxpayer
a despesa médica
the medical expense
deduzir
to deduct (for tax purposes)
Questions & Answers about O contribuinte pode deduzir a despesa médica.
Why is it o contribuinte and not just contribuinte?
In Portuguese, it is very common to use the definite article with nouns, especially in formal or legal-style sentences.
So o contribuinte means the taxpayer, but it can also refer to the taxpayer in general / any taxpayer depending on context.
This kind of wording is common in rules, instructions, and tax language:
- O contribuinte deve guardar os recibos.
- O empregador deve informar os salários.
In English, we often leave the article out in this kind of general statement, but Portuguese usually keeps it.
Does contribuinte mean only a male taxpayer because it uses o?
No. Contribuinte is a noun that can refer to either a man or a woman. The word itself does not change form.
What changes is the article:
- o contribuinte = the taxpayer (male, or generic)
- a contribuinte = the taxpayer (female)
In legal or administrative language, the masculine article is often used in a generic sense, but if the person is specifically female, a contribuinte is also correct.
Why is it pode deduzir?