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Questions & Answers about Eu protejo a minha família.
What does "Eu protejo a minha família" mean in English?
It means "I protect my family." In this sentence, "Eu" stands for "I," "protejo" is the first person singular form of the verb "proteger" (to protect), and "a minha família" translates as "my family."
Why is there a definite article "a" before "minha família"?
In European Portuguese, it is common to include the definite article before possessive adjectives when referring to family members or personal relationships. Although English simply uses "my family," Portuguese uses "a minha família" to follow standard grammatical constructions in Portugal.
How is the verb "proteger" conjugated in this sentence, and is there anything irregular about it?
The verb "proteger" (to protect) is conjugated as "protejo" in the first person singular. While most forms of "proteger" are regular, the change from the expected "protege" to "protejo" in the first person singular is a minor irregularity common with verbs ending in -ger—this adjustment ensures the soft "g" sound is maintained before the vowel "o."
Can I break down the sentence into its grammatical components?
Yes. The sentence consists of:
• "Eu" – the subject pronoun meaning "I."
• "Protejo" – the verb, in first person singular, meaning "protect."
• "A minha família" – the object, which includes the definite article "a," the possessive adjective "minha" (my), and the noun "família" (family), together representing "my family."
Is it acceptable to drop the definite article before the possessive in this context?
In European Portuguese, particularly when referring to family, it is standard to include the definite article, thus "a minha família" is correct. While some dialects of Brazilian Portuguese may occasionally omit the article, using it is the norm in Portugal and ensures grammatical accuracy for learners of Portuguese (Portugal).