ELONIO
Log inSign up

Ele nunca esquece o remédio.

Ele nunca esquece o remédio.
He never forgets the medicine.
FromLesson 9inHardcore Portuguese (Brazil)

Breakdown of Ele nunca esquece o remédio.

ele
he
o remédio
the medicine
nunca
never
esquecer
to forget

Questions & Answers about Ele nunca esquece o remédio.

Why is there no de after esquecer in Ele nunca esquece o remédio?
In Portuguese esquecer can be used as a transitive verb taking a direct object: esquecer algo (“to forget something”). In that case you say esquecer o remédio. If you choose the reflexive form esquecer-se, then you must add de: esquecer-se de algo (“to forget about something”). Here the sentence uses the simpler transitive pattern, so no de is needed.
Could you say Ele nunca esquece do remédio instead?
Yes, but that would require the reflexive structure: Ele nunca se esquece do remédio. You need both the se and the preposition de (contracted to do). Pure Ele nunca esquece do remédio (without se) is ungrammatical.
Why is the definite article o used before remédio? Why not um remédio or no article at all?
Portuguese often uses definite articles where English might drop them. Here o remédio points to a specific medicine that “he” must take (perhaps one he regularly uses). Saying um remédio would imply “some medicine,” less precise. Omitting the article altogether (esquece remédio) sounds unnatural in Brazilian Portuguese when you talk about a concrete, known object.
Can you place nunca after esquece, as in Ele esquece nunca o remédio?
No, that word order is awkward. Adverbs of frequency (like nunca, sempre, já) normally go before the main verb in Brazilian Portuguese. So Ele nunca esquece o remédio is the natural order.
Why not use não instead of nunca? Would Ele não esquece o remédio work?
Yes, Ele não esquece o remédio is grammatically correct, but it simply means “He doesn’t forget the medicine [generally].” Using nunca (“never”) is stronger: it stresses that at no time does he forget it.
What’s the difference between nunca and jamais?
Both mean “never,” but jamais is more formal or literary, and somewhat stronger (almost “never ever”). In everyday Brazilian speech you’ll hear nunca far more often.
Is the verb esquecer conjugated correctly here?
Yes. Ele (he) is third person singular, so you use esquece (from esquecer). Present tense (presente do indicativo) expresses a habitual action here: “He never forgets the medicine.”
Could you make the sentence plural, e.g. Eles nunca esquecem os remédios?
Absolutely. For a plural subject Eles, the verb becomes esquecem, and the object also switches to plural: os remédios (“the medicines”). So Eles nunca esquecem os remédios means “They never forget the medicines.”
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Portuguese

Master Portuguese — from Ele nunca esquece o remédio to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Portuguese→