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Questions & Answers about Primo viaja com Ana.
Why is there no article before primo in the sentence?
In Brazilian Portuguese, it’s common to omit definite articles with kinship terms when context makes the reference clear. Unlike in English—where you might say “the cousin” or “my cousin”—native speakers often simply use primo when the relationship is understood from the situation.
What does the verb viaja mean, and what is its grammatical form?
The verb viaja means “travels” and is the third person singular form of viajar in the present indicative tense. The context lets us know that primo (the cousin) is the subject, even though a pronoun like ele (“he”) isn’t explicitly stated.
How is the prepositional phrase com Ana functioning in the sentence?
The phrase com Ana uses the preposition com, which translates to “with” in English. It indicates companionship or association, showing that the cousin is traveling together with Ana. Since Ana is a proper name, no article is needed.
Is the word primo gender-specific, and what implication does that have?
Yes, primo is gender-specific and refers to a male cousin. If you were referring to a female cousin, Portuguese would use prima. Therefore, the sentence implies that a male cousin is traveling with Ana.
Why isn’t a subject pronoun included before viaja as it is in English sometimes?
Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb conjugation already indicates the subject. In this case, viaja clearly shows the action is being done by a third person singular subject, making the inclusion of a pronoun like ele unnecessary.
Can the sentence be modified by adding a possessive adjective, and what would change if we did so?
Yes, you could add a possessive adjective for clarity or emphasis. For example, Meu primo viaja com Ana means “My cousin travels with Ana.” Including meu specifies whose cousin is being mentioned, which is useful when the context doesn’t already make that clear.