Nós devemos planejar nossas férias com antecedência.

We must plan our vacation in advance.

Breakdown of Nós devemos planejar nossas férias com antecedência.

• nós: we
• planejar: to plan
• nossas: our
• a férias: vacation
• com antecedência: in advance

Questions & Answers about Nós devemos planejar nossas férias com antecedência.

What does the verb devemos indicate in this sentence?

Devemos is the first person plural present form of the verb dever, which generally means “must” or “should.” In this context, it implies an obligation or recommendation, suggesting that “we” are expected to plan our vacations in advance.

Why is the subject pronoun nós included, and can it be omitted?

In Portuguese, subject pronouns like nós (we) are often omitted because the verb ending clearly indicates the subject. However, including nós can add emphasis or clarity, especially for learners or in contexts where you want to stress who is responsible for the action.

How does the possessive nossas function in nossas férias?

The possessive nossas means “our” and is in the feminine plural form to agree with férias (vacations), which is a feminine plural noun. This agreement in gender and number is a common rule in Portuguese grammar when using possessive adjectives.

What does com antecedência mean, and what role does it play in the sentence?

Com antecedência translates to “in advance.” It acts as an adverbial phrase that describes when the planning should occur, indicating that the vacations should be planned ahead of time.

How does the structure of this Portuguese sentence compare to a similar sentence in English?

The structure is very similar. In English, the sentence would be “We must plan our vacations in advance.” Here, nós corresponds to “we,” devemos to “must” or “should,” planejar to “plan,” nossas férias to “our vacations,” and com antecedência to “in advance.” Both languages follow a clear subject–modal verb–main verb–object–adverbial order for this type of sentence.