Breakdown of Eu sugiro que a gente faça a reserva hoje para não adiar a viagem de novo.
Questions & Answers about Eu sugiro que a gente faça a reserva hoje para não adiar a viagem de novo.
Why is it faça and not faz or fazer?
Because sugerir que normally triggers the subjunctive in Portuguese.
So after Eu sugiro que..., Portuguese expects:
Not:
- que a gente faz = indicative, which sounds wrong here
- que a gente fazer = infinitive, also wrong in this structure
This is a very common pattern:
- Eu quero que você venha.
- Ela pede que eles esperem.
- Nós sugerimos que vocês saiam cedo.
So in your sentence, faça is the present subjunctive form of fazer.
Why does a gente use faça, which looks singular, if it means we?
Because a gente means we in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, but grammatically it behaves like third person singular.
So you get:
- a gente faz
- a gente quer
- a gente vai
- a gente faça in the subjunctive
Even though the meaning is we, the verb agrees as if it were he/she/it.
Compare:
- Nós fazemos a reserva. = We make the reservation.
- A gente faz a reserva. = We make the reservation.
Both are correct, but a gente is more common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
Could this sentence use nós instead of a gente?
Yes. A more formal or less colloquial version would be:
This is fully correct, but it sounds more formal or more written.
In everyday Brazilian speech, many people would prefer:
- Eu sugiro que a gente faça...
So the difference is mostly about register:
- a gente = very common, natural, conversational
- nós = also correct, but often more formal or careful
Why is Eu included? Couldn't it just be Sugiro que...?
What exactly does a reserva mean here?
A reserva means the reservation or the booking.
Depending on context, it could refer to:
- a hotel booking
- a flight reservation
- a restaurant reservation
- some other travel-related booking
In Brazilian Portuguese, fazer a reserva is a very normal expression meaning to make the reservation / booking.
You could also hear:
- fazer uma reserva
- reservar
For example:
- Vamos fazer a reserva hoje.
- Vamos reservar hoje.
Both are natural.
Why does Portuguese say fazer a reserva instead of just using reservar?
Both are possible.
These are both natural:
- fazer a reserva
- reservar
The version with fazer is extremely common because Portuguese often uses fazer + noun where English might prefer a single verb.
Examples:
- fazer uma pergunta = ask a question
- fazer uma ligação = make a call
- fazer uma reserva = make a reservation
So fazer a reserva is just a very idiomatic and common way to say it.
Why is it para não adiar and not something like para que a gente não adie?
Because para + infinitive is commonly used when the subject is the same or understood in a general way.
Here, the sentence means:
- I suggest that we make the reservation today in order not to postpone the trip again.
Portuguese often prefers:
- para não adiar
instead of the more explicit:
Both can be correct, but para não adiar is simpler and more natural here.
So:
- para + infinitive = very common for in order to / so as to
- para que + subjunctive = also possible, often when the clause needs a clearer subject or sounds more formal
Why is não placed before adiar?
What is the difference between de novo and novamente?
Both can mean again, but de novo is more common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.
So:
- adiar a viagem de novo = postpone the trip again
- adiar a viagem novamente = postpone the trip again
Difference in tone:
- de novo = more conversational, very common in speech
- novamente = a bit more formal or written
There is also a small nuance some people mention:
- de novo can sometimes feel like again / one more time
- novamente can sound slightly more neutral or formal
But in many real situations, they are interchangeable.
Why use adiar here? Is it different from atrasar?
Yes, there is a difference.
- adiar = to postpone, put off, reschedule for later
- atrasar = to delay, be late, make something run late
In this sentence, adiar a viagem means the trip itself would be moved to a later date.
If you said atrasar a viagem, that could sound more like the trip is delayed rather than officially postponed.
So adiar is the better choice for:
- putting the trip off
- postponing it again
You may also hear postergar, but that is usually more formal or less common in everyday speech.
Could para be replaced by pra?
Yes, in informal Brazilian Portuguese, pra is very common.
So in speech, many people would say:
That sounds very natural in conversation.
Difference in style:
- para = standard, neutral, better for writing
- pra = informal, common in speech and casual writing
Could the sentence be rewritten as Eu sugiro fazer a reserva hoje...?
Yes, that is also possible:
This means roughly:
- I suggest making the reservation today...
This version is a little less explicit about who will do it, although it usually still implies we from context.
Compare:
Both are natural. The original sentence is slightly more explicit and personal because it includes a gente.
Is this sentence formal or informal?
It is mostly neutral-to-informal.
Why:
- a gente makes it more conversational
- the rest of the sentence is standard and natural
- Eu sugiro que... is polite and normal, not slangy
So it would work well in:
- everyday conversation
- texting
- casual planning with friends or family
- normal spoken Brazilian Portuguese
If you wanted it to sound more formal, you might say:
That sounds more formal and more written.
Is there anything especially important to notice about this sentence for learners?
Yes: it combines several very common Portuguese patterns in one sentence.
sugerir que + subjunctive
a gente meaning we, but taking singular verb forms
- a gente faça
fazer a reserva
- common idiomatic expression
- para não adiar
de novo
- everyday way to say again
So this is a very useful model sentence for learning how natural Brazilian Portuguese is often built.
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