A funcionária disse que o formulário pode ser preenchido online.

Breakdown of A funcionária disse que o formulário pode ser preenchido online.

poder
can
que
that
dizer
to say
online
online
a funcionária
the employee
o formulário
the form
ser preenchido
to be filled out

Questions & Answers about A funcionária disse que o formulário pode ser preenchido online.

Why is it A funcionária and not just funcionária?

In Portuguese, it is very common to use the definite article before a noun like funcionária when talking about a specific person already understood in the situation. So A funcionária means the employee / the clerk / the staff member.

Leaving the article out is sometimes possible in other contexts, but here A funcionária disse... sounds the most natural.

What exactly does funcionária mean?

Funcionária is the feminine form of funcionário. It usually means employee, staff member, or sometimes clerk, depending on context.

Because the noun is feminine, it uses the article a:

  • a funcionária = the female employee
  • o funcionário = the male employee
What tense is disse?

Disse is the preterite form of the verb dizer (to say / to tell). It means said.

So:

  • eu digo = I say
  • eu disse = I said

In this sentence, disse shows a completed action in the past: the employee said it.

Why is que used after disse?

Here que means that and introduces the content of what was said:

  • A funcionária disse que... = The employee said that...

In English, that is often omitted, but in Portuguese que is usually kept in this kind of sentence. So disse que is a very common pattern.

How does pode ser preenchido work?

This is a passive structure:

  • pode = can / may
  • ser = be
  • preenchido = filled out / completed

So pode ser preenchido literally means can be filled out.

It is similar to English:

  • The form can be filled out online.
Why is it preenchido and not preencher?

Because after ser in a passive construction, Portuguese uses the past participle, not the infinitive.

  • preencher = to fill out
  • preenchido = filled out

So:

  • pode preencher o formulário = can fill out the form
  • o formulário pode ser preenchido = the form can be filled out
Why does preenchido end in -o?

The past participle agrees with the noun it describes. Here the noun is o formulário, which is masculine singular, so the participle is preenchido.

Compare:

  • o formulário pode ser preenchido
  • a ficha pode ser preenchida
  • os formulários podem ser preenchidos
  • as fichas podem ser preenchidas

So the ending changes for gender and number.

Why is it o formulário?

Formulário is a masculine noun, so it takes o:

  • o formulário = the form

This is just something you learn with the noun. The ending -o often suggests a masculine noun, though not always. Here it matches the article and also explains why the participle is preenchido.

What is the difference between preencher and completar for a form?

Both can sometimes work, but preencher is the most natural verb for filling out a form in Portuguese.

  • preencher um formulário = fill out a form
  • completar often means complete or finish

So for forms, preencher is the usual choice in Brazilian Portuguese.

Is online commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese?

Yes. Online is very common and natural in Brazilian Portuguese, especially in everyday language, websites, customer service, and office contexts.

You may also hear:

  • pela internet = on the internet
  • no site = on the website
  • digitalmente = digitally

But preenchido online sounds completely normal.

Why do funcionária and formulário have accent marks?

The accents show the stressed syllable:

  • funcionária → stress on
  • formulário → stress on

They also help distinguish the correct pronunciation. For an English speaker, it is useful to hear them roughly as:

  • fun-syo-NA-rya
  • for-moo-LA-ryo

The written accents are important and should not be ignored in correct spelling.

Can the sentence be said in a more active way?

Yes. A very natural active version would be:

  • A funcionária disse que você pode preencher o formulário online.

That means The employee said that you can fill out the form online.

The original sentence is a bit more impersonal because it focuses on the form rather than on you. Both are correct; the passive version is common in formal or informational language.

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