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Questions & Answers about Tu vestes o pijama antes de adormecer.
Why is the verb vestir used to mean put on in this sentence, and how is it used with clothing items?
In Portuguese, vestir is a transitive verb meaning to dress or to put on clothes. When you mention the specific garment, you follow it with a direct object: vestes o pijama (you put on the pajamas). If you want to talk about getting dressed in general without specifying any item, you use the reflexive form vestir‑se (e.g. Tu te vestes = you get dressed).
Why is there no reflexive pronoun te in tu vestes o pijama? Could you say te vestes o pijama instead?
Because when you specify a garment, Portuguese prefers vestir + direct object rather than a reflexive pronoun. Saying te vestes o pijama would mix reflexive and transitive constructions and is ungrammatical. If you use the reflexive form vestir‑se, you drop the object and simply say tu te vestes (you get dressed).
Why does the sentence include the definite article o before pijama? Do you always need an article before clothing words?
In European Portuguese it’s very common to use definite articles before pieces of clothing and body parts (e.g. tirar os sapatos, lavar as mãos). Here o pijama (the pajamas) is idiomatic. In some informal registers—or in Brazilian Portuguese—you might drop the article (tirou pijama), but in Portugal the article is standard.
Why do we say antes de adormecer with an infinitive instead of a conjugated verb? When would you use antes que + subjunctive?
After the preposition de you must use the infinitive, so antes de + adormecer (before falling asleep). Since the subject (“you”) remains the same in both clauses, the infinitive is correct. If the subject changes, or if you use antes que, you need the subjunctive:
• Saí antes que chovesse (I left before it rained).
What is the difference between adormecer and dormir?
Adormecer means to fall asleep (the moment you start sleeping), whereas dormir means to sleep (the state of being asleep).
• Adormeci às dez – I fell asleep at ten.
• Dormir oito horas – to sleep eight hours.
Why is the subject pronoun tu used here, since Portuguese often drops pronouns?
Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so you can often say Vestes o pijama antes de adormecer without tu. Including tu adds emphasis or clarity (for example, to contrast with another person). In spoken European Portuguese, using tu is also very common in informal contexts.
How do you conjugate vestir for tu in the present tense?
Vestir is an ‑ir verb. The present indicative goes:
• eu visto
• tu vestes
• ele/ela veste
• nós vestimos
• vocês vestem
Note that the first and third persons have a stem change (eu visto, ele veste), but tu vestes follows the regular pattern for ‑ir verbs.
What’s the difference between using tu and você in European Portuguese?
Tu is the informal second‑person singular pronoun used among friends, family, and in casual speech in Portugal. Você is more formal or polite, though its usage varies by region. In Brazil, você is common even informally, but in Portugal tu remains the default with people you know well.
Why is pijama singular in Portuguese, while in English we say pajamas in the plural?
In English some garments are treated as plural (pajamas, pants, shorts). In Portuguese those conventions differ: o pijama is singular (one set of pajamas). Other items may be plural in Portuguese (e.g. as calças for trousers), but pijama always stays singular, so you say um pijama (a pair of pajamas) or o pijama (the pajamas).