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Questions & Answers about Pessoal trabalha bem.
Why is the verb trabalha in the singular form even though pessoal refers to multiple individuals?
In Portuguese, collective nouns such as pessoal are treated as singular when the group acts as a single unit. Even though the word implies more than one person, the verb agrees in the third person singular form.
What does pessoal mean in this context?
Pessoal generally refers to a group of people, often understood as the staff or team. It is used informally to denote everyone involved as a collective whole.
How does the adverb bem function in the sentence, and why is it translated as “well” rather than “good”?
Bem is an adverb modifying the verb trabalha, indicating the quality or manner in which the work is done. In English, it translates to "well" because it describes the action, rather than the noun; "good" would be an adjective directly describing a noun.
Is it acceptable to omit a definite article before pessoal in this sentence?
Yes, it is common in Portuguese to use pessoal on its own to refer to a group collectively. While you might see o pessoal in some contexts for added specificity, omitting the article is perfectly acceptable and natural in everyday speech.
Does punctuation play a role in changing the meaning of this sentence?
Absolutely. If you insert a comma after pessoal (e.g., “Pessoal, trabalha bem.”), it becomes a vocative form, meaning "Guys, work well" as a direct address. Without the comma, the sentence states that "the staff works well" as a descriptive observation.