Breakdown of Eu tento lembrar de trazer dinheiro, mas às vezes esqueço-me.
eu
I
mas
but
trazer
to bring
tentar
to try
lembrar de
to remember
o dinheiro
the money
às vezes
sometimes
esquecer-se
to forget
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Questions & Answers about Eu tento lembrar de trazer dinheiro, mas às vezes esqueço-me.
Why is the preposition de used after lembrar in “lembrar de trazer dinheiro”?
In Portuguese, when you express the idea of remembering to do something using an infinitive, the verb lembrar is typically followed by the preposition de. This de connects the act of remembering with the specific action—in this case, trazer dinheiro (to bring money).
Why does the sentence use the reflexive form “esqueço-me” with esquecer but not with lembrar?
Portuguese verbs like esquecer require a reflexive pronoun (esquecer-se) when referring to forgetting something personally. That’s why you see “esqueço-me” meaning “I forget.” Meanwhile, lembrar can be used in a non-reflexive way when its object is an action (as in lembrar de trazer dinheiro), though it also has a reflexive form (lembrar-se). In this sentence, both Eu tento lembrar de trazer dinheiro and Eu tento lembrar-me de trazer dinheiro would be acceptable; the choice here is largely stylistic.
Can the placement of the reflexive pronoun in “às vezes esqueço-me” be changed?
Yes. In Portuguese, clitic (object) pronouns can be placed either before the verb (proclisis) or attached to the end of the verb (enclisis), depending on factors like sentence structure and emphasis. In this affirmative statement, the pronoun is attached to the end of esqueço (forming esqueço-me). In other contexts—such as a negative sentence—you might instead say “às vezes eu me esqueço.”
Why is there a comma before mas in the sentence?
The comma is used before mas (which means “but”) to separate two independent clauses that contrast with each other. The first clause, “Eu tento lembrar de trazer dinheiro,” expresses an effort, while the second clause, “às vezes esqueço-me,” presents an opposing idea. The comma helps clarify this contrast.
Is the conjugation of tentar as tento in “Eu tento lembrar de trazer dinheiro” correct?
Yes, it is. Tento is the first-person singular form of the verb tentar in the present tense, meaning “I try.” It matches the subject Eu properly and fits well within the sentence’s structure.