Você deve escutar meu conselho e comer mais frutas.

You must listen to my advice and eat more fruits.

Breakdown of Você deve escutar meu conselho e comer mais frutas.

• você: you
• comer: to eat
• meu: my
• e: and
• a fruta: the fruit
• dever: must
• escutar: to listen to
• o conselho: the advice
• mais: more

Questions & Answers about Você deve escutar meu conselho e comer mais frutas.

Why is deve used here instead of other forms like tem que or precisa?

In Portuguese, deve indicates a suggestion or recommendation with a shade of obligation, somewhat softer than tem que (which is more mandatory) and similar to precisa. Using deve implies that it is advisable or recommended, while tem que or precisa sound stronger, as if there is a more pressing need.

Is it correct to use ouvir instead of escutar?

Yes, using ouvir is also correct. There is a subtle difference: escutar often indicates intentional or active listening, while ouvir can mean simply perceiving the sound. Both verbs would make sense here, though using escutar can emphasize paying close attention to the advice.

Why is meu conselho in the singular form? Can I say meus conselhos?

If you have one piece of advice to offer, you use the singular meu conselho. If you have multiple pieces of advice, you could say meus conselhos. In this sentence, it suggests the idea of a singular, specific piece of advice.

Why does the sentence say comer mais frutas instead of something like comer mais das frutas?

In Portuguese, to say eat more fruit, you typically say comer mais frutas without inserting an article. Using das frutas would imply from the fruits and would sound less natural in this context. So comer mais frutas is the most straightforward way to express eat more fruit.

Is there an alternative way to express this sentence without changing the meaning significantly?

Yes, you could say something like:
Você precisa ouvir meu conselho e comer mais frutas.
or
Você tem que escutar meu conselho e comer mais frutas.
All carry a similar message, though the sense of obligation slightly changes depending on the verb (precisar, ter que, or dever). The basic idea—encouraging someone to heed advice and eat more fruit—remains the same.