Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Portuguese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Nós respondemos à mensagem.
Why is the contraction à used before mensagem?
In Portuguese, when the preposition a combines with the feminine singular definite article a, it contracts to à. Here, responder requires the preposition a before its object, and since mensagem is a feminine noun, the article is a—thus, a + a = à.
Is the subject pronoun Nós necessary, or can it be omitted?
Subject pronouns in Portuguese are often optional because verb conjugations typically indicate the subject. However, Nós is sometimes kept for emphasis or clarity, especially in written or formal communication. Both Respondemos à mensagem and Nós respondemos à mensagem are acceptable, but using Nós stresses the subject.
What person and tense is indicated by the verb form respondemos?
Respondemos is the first-person plural form of responder. Notably, for many regular -er verbs in Portuguese, the form used for the present indicative (meaning “we reply” or “we are replying”) is identical to the simple past (preterite, meaning “we replied”). The context of the conversation determines which tense is intended.
Does the verb responder require a preposition before its object? If so, why?
Yes, responder typically requires the preposition a when referring to what or whom one replies. That’s why the sentence uses à mensagem. The preposition indicates the target of the reply, aligning with the standard usage in Portuguese.
How can you form similar sentences using different subject pronouns while keeping the same structure?
You simply change the subject pronoun and adjust the verb conjugation accordingly. For example: • Eu respondo à mensagem. (I reply to the message.) • Tu respondes à mensagem. (You reply to the message, informal singular.) • Ele/Ela responde à mensagem. (He/She replies to the message.) • Eles/Elas respondem à mensagem. (They reply to the message.) In each example, the use of à mensagem remains unchanged because the verb responder consistently requires the preposition a before its object.