Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Ausência faz-me sentir triste.

Ausência is the subject. It indicates what is causing the effect, which is the feeling of sadness. Essentially, the sentence means Absence makes me feel sad.

Why is the object pronoun attached to the verb as faz-me instead of being separated (like me faz)?

In European Portuguese, it is common to use enclisis, where object pronouns are attached directly to the conjugated verb with a hyphen. This is why we see faz-me. In contrast, Brazilian Portuguese often uses proclisis (placing the pronoun before the verb), such as in me faz.

What is the function of the infinitive sentir in this sentence?

The infinitive sentir acts as a complement to the causative verb fazer. It explains what Ausência causes—namely, the act of feeling sad. Without the infinitive, the complete idea of the feeling wouldn’t be fully expressed.

Why does the adjective triste remain unchanged, even though Ausência is a feminine noun?

The adjective triste is invariant between masculine and feminine forms in the singular. Although many adjectives change to match the gender of the noun, triste remains the same regardless.