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Questions & Answers about Ele fala pouco português.
Why is pouco used here instead of um pouco?
In Portuguese, pouco means "little" in the sense of "not much," focusing on a small amount. Um pouco also means "a little," but it suggests a slightly more positive amount. Saying Ele fala um pouco de português implies he speaks enough to communicate at a basic level, whereas Ele fala pouco português stresses that his Portuguese is very limited.
Why is the word português not capitalized?
In Portuguese, language names (e.g., português, inglês, espanhol) are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or form part of a title. This differs from English, where language names are always capitalized (Portuguese, English, Spanish).
Could I say Ele fala português pouco?
No, that would sound unnatural in Portuguese. The adverb pouco usually comes directly after the verb (in this case, fala). The standard word order is Ele fala pouco português, keeping the flow more natural and emphasizing how much (or how little) he speaks.
Why did we use Ele instead of something else?
Ele is the masculine third-person singular pronoun meaning "he." If you want to say "she," you would use Ela. Portuguese has different forms depending on the gender of the person or thing being referred to.
Is there any difference between Ele fala pouco português and Ele fala pouco do português?
Yes. Ele fala pouco português simply states he speaks little Portuguese. On the other hand, Ele fala pouco do português is uncommon and might imply he speaks only certain parts or aspects of the language, which is unusual phrasing. So the more natural sentence is Ele fala pouco português.
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