Breakdown of Você deve respeitar as escolhas do seu colega.
você
you
seu
your
do
of the
respeitar
to respect
as
the
escolha
choice
o colega
colleague
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Questions & Answers about Você deve respeitar as escolhas do seu colega.
What does the modal verb deve signify in the sentence “Você deve respeitar as escolhas do seu colega”?
Deve is the third person singular form of the verb dever, and it functions as a modal verb expressing obligation or duty. In this sentence, it is typically translated as must or should, indicating that respecting your colleague’s choices is not optional but expected.
Why is the verb respeitar used in the infinitive form rather than being conjugated?
In Portuguese, when a modal verb such as dever is used to indicate obligation or recommendation, it is followed by an action in its infinitive form. This construction—modal verb plus infinitive—is similar to English phrases like “must respect” or “should respect,” where the main verb isn’t conjugated independently.
What is the role of the article as in “as escolhas do seu colega”?
As is a definite article used to specify the noun it accompanies—in this case, escolhas (choices). It indicates that the sentence is referring to particular choices rather than choices in a general or unspecified sense, much like using the in the English phrase “the choices.”
How is possession expressed in the phrase do seu colega, and why is seu used here?
The phrase do seu colega translates to “of your colleague.” The word do is a contraction of de + o, linking the possession. Seu is the possessive pronoun corresponding to your when using você as the subject. It indicates that the colleague is associated with or belongs to the person being addressed.
What is the overall sentence structure of “Você deve respeitar as escolhas do seu colega,” and how does it compare to an English sentence?
The sentence follows a clear Subject–Verb–Object structure. Você is the subject (You), deve is the modal verb (must/should), and respeitar as escolhas do seu colega is the predicate, with respeitar as the main action connected to its object, as escolhas do seu colega (the choices of your colleague). This construction mirrors English sentences like “You must respect your colleague’s choices,” making it familiar to English speakers learning Portuguese.