Word
A senhora pode experimentar estes óculos aqui, se quiser.
Meaning
You can try on these glasses here, if you want, ma’am.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Lesson
Breakdown of A senhora pode experimentar estes óculos aqui, se quiser.
querer
to want
se
if
poder
can
aqui
here
Questions & Answers about A senhora pode experimentar estes óculos aqui, se quiser.
Why is a senhora used here instead of você?
A senhora is a polite, more formal way to say you when speaking to a woman. In Brazil, this is very common in customer service, with strangers, or when showing respect, especially to an older woman.
A less formal version would be:
For a man, you would use o senhor.
Depending on the situation, a senhora can sound respectful, professional, or a bit distant.
Why is there an a before senhora?
Because a senhora is the normal full expression. In Portuguese, forms like a senhora and o senhor include the definite article.
So the subject is not just senhora but a senhora.
At the beginning of the sentence, the a is capitalized only because it starts the sentence:
- A senhora pode...
Why does it say pode if it means you can?