Breakdown of O diretor demite o funcionário.
o
the
o funcionário
the employee
o diretor
the director
demitir
to fire
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Questions & Answers about O diretor demite o funcionário.
What is the grammatical structure of the sentence "O diretor demite o funcionário"?
The sentence follows a subject-verb-object order. "O diretor" is the subject (the one performing the action), "demite" is the verb in the third person singular present tense, and "o funcionário" is the direct object (the one receiving the action).
What does the verb demite mean, and how is it conjugated?
"Demite" means "fires" or "dismisses" in English. It is the third person singular form of the verb demitir. In the present tense, the full conjugation of demitir is:
• Eu demito
• Tu demites
• Ele/Ela demite
• Nós demitimos
• Vós demitis
• Eles/Elas demitem
What role do the articles o play in this sentence?
The word "o" is a masculine singular definite article, equivalent to "the" in English. It appears before both "diretor" and "funcionário" to indicate that a specific director and a specific employee are being referred to.
How does the Portuguese sentence structure compare to its English equivalent, "The director fires the employee"?
Both sentences use the subject-verb-object order. In Portuguese, you also have gendered articles ("o") that must agree with the noun’s gender, and the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject. English uses the same basic word order but does not mark gender on articles or require verb conjugation to the same extent.
Is there a difference between demitir and other verbs like despedir that mean "to fire"?
Yes, there can be regional and contextual differences. In European Portuguese, "despedir" is more commonly used in everyday speech to mean "to fire" someone, whereas "demitir" is also correct—often in more formal or official contexts. Being aware of both terms can help you recognize and use them appropriately depending on the setting.
Are there any idiomatic or cultural nuances in this sentence I should be aware of?
Not particularly. This sentence is a straightforward, literal statement: "The director fires the employee." It does not include idiomatic expressions, making it a clear example of basic Portuguese sentence structure and verb conjugation.