Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Eu lhes trouxe café porque a equipe trabalhou muito.
What does the pronoun lhes mean here?
Lhes is an indirect object clitic meaning “to them” or “to you all” (addressing vocês). In this sentence it stands for “to you (plural)” or “to them”: “I brought coffee to you/them.”
Is lhes natural in Brazilian Portuguese?
It’s grammatically correct but sounds formal or bookish in Brazil. In everyday speech Brazilians usually say:
- Eu trouxe café pra vocês.
- Trouxe café para vocês. Using lhes is much more common in European Portuguese and in formal writing.
Does lhes refer to a equipe in this sentence?
Not necessarily. Lhes is plural, while a equipe is a singular collective noun. Here, lhes most naturally refers to the people being addressed (you all) or to some previously known group. If you want to tie it explicitly to the team as a unit, prefer:
- Eu trouxe café para a equipe. (most natural in Brazil)
- Formal but rarer in Brazil: Eu lhe trouxe café (matching the singular collective “a equipe”).
Where can I place lhes in the sentence?
- Most natural in Brazil: Eu lhes trouxe café.
- Formal/literary (and common in Portugal): Trouxe-lhes café.
- With negation or other “attractors,” the pronoun goes before the verb: Eu não lhes trouxe café. Starting a sentence with the clitic (Lhes trouxe café) is odd in Brazil unless there’s a trigger like não, que, porque, etc.
Can I just say para vocês instead of using lhes?
Yes, that’s the everyday Brazilian choice:
- Eu trouxe café pra vocês porque a equipe trabalhou muito. Avoid doubling: don’t say Eu lhes trouxe café para vocês (choose one or the other).
Why is it trouxe? What tense and verb is this?
Trouxe is the simple past (pretérito perfeito) of trazer (to bring), 1st person singular (eu). Mini chart:
- Eu trouxe
- Ele/ela/você trouxe
- Nós trouxemos
- Vocês/eles/elas trouxeram Present: eu trago. Past participle: trazido.
Should it be trazer or levar here?
Use trazer when the action is toward the speaker or the addressee’s location (bring), and levar when it’s away from them (take). Since the coffee ends up with “you/them,” trouxe is appropriate.
Why is there no article before café?
Portuguese often drops the article with mass nouns when speaking generally or about an unspecified amount. Trouxe café ≈ “I brought (some) coffee.” If you mean one unit, say um café (a coffee). For several, cafés or the common diminutive cafezinhos.
Is equipe feminine? Could I use time instead?
Yes, a equipe is feminine regardless of who’s in it. Time is masculine (o time) and is especially common in sports. Equipe works broadly for team/crew; choose based on context.
Why is it a equipe trabalhou (singular) and not trabalharam?
In Brazilian Portuguese, collective nouns like a equipe usually take a singular verb: a equipe trabalhou. If you want a plural verb, make the plural explicit: os membros da equipe trabalharam. (In European Portuguese, plural agreement with collectives is more common but not obligatory.)
Does muito need to agree here?
No. Here muito is an adverb modifying the verb trabalhou, so it’s invariable: trabalhou muito. As an adjective, it agrees: muito trabalho, muita água, muitos cafés.
Do I need a comma before porque?
Usually no: Eu lhes trouxe café porque a equipe trabalhou muito. Add a comma if the clause is an explanatory aside, or if you front the reason: Porque a equipe trabalhou muito, eu lhes trouxe café.
What’s the difference among porque, por que, por quê, and porquê?
- porque = “because” (conjunction): Trouxe café porque…
- por que = “why / for what” in questions or “for which” before a noun.
- por quê = “why” at the end of a question or before a pause.
- porquê = a noun meaning “the reason”: o porquê.
Could I use something other than porque?
Yes, with nuances:
- pois (formal/literary): Trouxe café, pois a equipe trabalhou muito.
- já que / como (“since/as,” often sentence-initial): Como a equipe trabalhou muito, trouxe café.
- For consequence (not cause), use por isso: A equipe trabalhou muito; por isso, trouxe café.
If I address the team directly, how does the second clause change?
Use vocês and plural agreement:
- Trouxe café pra vocês porque vocês trabalharam muito. If you keep a equipe, the verb is singular: a equipe trabalhou.
Can I drop the subject Eu?
Yes. Portuguese often omits subject pronouns when the verb form is clear:
- Lhes trouxe café porque a equipe trabalhou muito. In Brazil, including Eu is also very common; both are fine.
Is it okay to say both a clitic and a full phrase (doubling), like lhes + para vocês?
No. Standard Portuguese avoids doubling indirect objects. Use either lhes or para vocês/eles/elas/ a equipe, not both.
Could I say demais instead of muito?
You can, but note the nuance. Demais often means “too much/excessively”: A equipe trabalhou demais. In informal speech it can mean “a lot,” but muito is the neutral choice.
Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?
Approximate Brazilian pronunciation (IPA):
- Eu [ew]
- lhes [ʎis] (the lh is a palatal “ly” sound)
- trouxe [ˈtɾow.se]
- café [kaˈfɛ]
- porque [poʁˈke] (the r is a guttural sound in many regions)
- a equipe [a eˈkipi]
- trabalhou [tɾabaˈʎow]
- muito [ˈmũj.tu] Putting it together: [ew ʎis ˈtɾowse kaˈfɛ poʁˈke a eˈkipi tɾabaˈʎow ˈmũjtu].
Is there any regional difference in how lhes is perceived?
Yes. In European Portuguese it’s common and neutral. In Brazil it’s often perceived as formal, old-fashioned, or regional in speech; everyday Brazilian usage prefers para vocês/eles/elas instead.