Breakdown of Tenho tantos livros quanto tu, mas não consigo lê-los todos rapidamente.
tu
you
mas
but
ter
to have
ler
to read
o livro
the book
não
not
rapidamente
quickly
conseguir
to be able to
todo
all
tanto
as many
os
them
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Questions & Answers about Tenho tantos livros quanto tu, mas não consigo lê-los todos rapidamente.
What is the meaning and function of tantos in this sentence?
Tantos is used as an adjective that means "as many" in English. In this sentence, it modifies livros (books) to indicate that the speaker has the same quantity as the other person. Since livros is masculine and plural, tantos agrees with it in both gender and number.
Why is the comparative structure quanto tu used, and how does it work?
In Portuguese, when comparing quantities, the structure tantos ... quanto is common. Here, quanto tu means "as many as you." The word quanto introduces the second element of the comparison, and tu is the informal singular pronoun (commonly used in Portugal), indicating the person being compared to.
How are object pronouns attached to verbs in Portuguese, as seen in lê-los?
Portuguese often uses enclitic placement for object pronouns, meaning that they are attached to the end of a verb. In this sentence, the pronoun os (referring to livros) is attached to the infinitive ler, forming lê-los. Notice that the verb appears as lê with an accent, which occurs due to certain phonetic and orthographic rules when pronouns are appended. The hyphen between lê and los is mandatory to show that they form a single verbal unit.
Why does the verb ler change to lê when the pronoun is attached?
When attaching a pronoun to an infinitive in Portuguese, the verb often adapts its form to maintain the correct stress. In the case of ler, attaching os creates lê-los with an accent on the ê to signal the proper pronunciation. This adjustment helps differentiate the new form from other similarly spelled words and ensures that the original stress of the verb is preserved.
What role does the adverb rapidamente play, and is its position flexible?
Rapidamente is an adverb modifying the verb phrase, describing how the action of reading is performed – that is, quickly. In this sentence, it comes at the very end to emphasize the speed (or lack thereof) with which the books can be read. Although adverb placement in Portuguese can sometimes be flexible, positioning it at the end is both natural and effective in clearly conveying the intended meaning.
How are the contrasting ideas connected in this sentence?
The conjunction mas (which means "but" in English) is used to link two contrasting ideas. The first part of the sentence, "Tenho tantos livros quanto tu," asserts equivalence in quantity, while the second part, "mas não consigo lê-los todos rapidamente," introduces a limitation regarding the ability to read all those books quickly. This contrast is effectively highlighted by the use of mas.
Why is tu used instead of another form for the second person?
In European Portuguese (Portugal), tu is the informal second person singular pronoun. Unlike Brazilian Portuguese, where você is more common, tu is traditionally used in Portugal for informal address. Its presence in the sentence signals familiarity and aligns with standard usage in Portugal.