Breakdown of Acidente fez o Pedro ficar triste.
Pedro
Pedro
triste
sad
ficar
to become
fazer
to make
o acidente
the accident
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Questions & Answers about Acidente fez o Pedro ficar triste.
Why is the verb following "fez" in the infinitive form ("ficar") instead of being conjugated?
In Portuguese, when using the causative structure with "fazer" to express that someone or something causes another to do something, the verb that follows remains in the infinitive form. Here, "acidente fez o Pedro ficar triste" follows the pattern: subject ("Acidente") + causative verb ("fez") + object ("o Pedro") + action in the infinitive ("ficar"), meaning the accident caused Pedro to become sad.
What does "ficar triste" mean in this context?
"Ficar" translates roughly as "to become," and "triste" means "sad." So "ficar triste" means "to become sad." Together, the sentence tells us that due to the accident, Pedro ended up in a state of sadness.
Why is the name preceded by the definite article ("o Pedro") instead of just saying "Pedro"?
In European Portuguese, it is common to use the definite article before personal names, especially in informal or familiar contexts. Saying "o Pedro" is a typical stylistic choice in Portugal and doesn’t add extra meaning beyond referring to Pedro in a natural, conversational way.
Why does the sentence start with "Acidente" without any article, even though it refers to a specific accident?
While you might expect the definite article, using no article at times is a stylistic choice, especially in headlines or concise statements. In this sentence, the omission of the article before "acidente" emphasizes the event as a notable fact. Both "Acidente fez o Pedro ficar triste" and "O acidente fez o Pedro ficar triste" are grammatically acceptable, but the form without the article creates a more succinct, headline-like style.
Why is "fez" used in the past tense, and what tense does it represent?
"Fez" is the third-person singular form of "fazer" in the simple past (pretérito perfeito) tense. It indicates that the accident happened in the past and that its effect—making Pedro become sad—also occurred in the past. This directly corresponds to the way we express completed actions in English, such as "The accident made Pedro sad."