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Questions & Answers about Ninguém quer sair hoje.
What does ninguém mean in this sentence, and why is it used as the subject?
Ninguém translates to “nobody” or “no one” in English. In this sentence, it acts as the subject to clearly indicate that not a single person is involved in the action described.
Why is the verb quer in the third person singular form?
Because ninguém—being an indefinite pronoun meaning “nobody”—is grammatically singular. Therefore, the verb quer (from querer, “to want”) is correctly conjugated in the third person singular to agree with its subject.
What is the meaning of sair in this context?
Sair can mean “to leave” or “to go out.” Here, given the context, it is best understood as “to go out,” indicating the action of leaving one’s current place to go somewhere else.
How does the sentence express negation without using the word não?
Portuguese uses certain negative pronouns—like ninguém—that inherently carry a negative meaning. Because ninguém already means “no one,” it removes the need for an additional negation such as não before the verb.
What function does hoje serve in the sentence?
Hoje is an adverb of time meaning “today.” It specifies when the action takes place, indicating that the lack of desire to go out applies specifically to the current day.