Breakdown of Não contes o segredo ao Pedro, porque quero surpreendê-lo.
Pedro
Pedro
querer
to want
porque
because
não
not
a
to
contar
to tell
o segredo
the secret
surpreender
to surprise
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Questions & Answers about Não contes o segredo ao Pedro, porque quero surpreendê-lo.
What does contes mean and which verb form is it?
contes is the 2nd person singular present subjunctive of contar. In Portuguese, negative tu commands use the present subjunctive, so Não contes literally means “don’t tell.”
Why does Portuguese use the subjunctive for a negative command instead of the indicative like não contas?
In European Portuguese grammar, affirmative tu commands take the 3rd person singular indicative (ex: conta), but negative tu commands always use the present subjunctive (ex: não contes). This is a fixed rule—negative imperatives never use the indicative.
Why do we say ao Pedro instead of just a Pedro or para Pedro?
The verb contar here takes two objects:
- The direct object o segredo (“the secret”)
- The indirect object “to Pedro”
Indirect objects use the preposition a. Because Pedro is masculine singular, we combine a + o (the article) into the contraction ao. Thus contar o segredo ao Pedro = “tell the secret to Pedro.” Para Pedro would also translate as “for Pedro,” but contar algo a alguém is the standard construction.
Could we use pronouns instead of repeating o segredo and ao Pedro? How would that work?
Yes. You replace:
- o segredo with the direct-object pronoun o
- ao Pedro with the indirect-object pronoun lhe
When both pronouns combine, you get lho. In a negative tu command, pronouns must precede the verb (proclisis), so you’d say Não lho contes (“Don’t tell it to him”). Many speakers, however, prefer the full form (Não contes o segredo ao Pedro) for clarity.
Why is surpreender written with a hyphen and an accent as surpreendê-lo?
After a verb like querer, Portuguese often attaches pronouns to the infinitive (enclisis). Here, surpreender + o (him) becomes surpreendê-lo. Adding the pronoun shifts the stress, so an accent on the ê preserves the original syllable stress of surpreender.
Could we place the pronoun before surpreender and say quero lhe surpreender or lhe quero surpreender instead?
In European Portuguese, the norm after active verbs (like querer) is enclisis on the infinitive, so quero surpreendê-lo is most natural. Lhe quero surpreender is grammatically possible but marked and uncommon. Quero-lhe surpreender (proclisis on the infinitive) mixes patterns and is generally avoided in Portugal.
Why is the infinitive (surpreender) used after quero instead of a subjunctive clause like que o surpreenda?
When the subject of both verbs is the same (here, “I” want to surprise Pedro), Portuguese uses the simple infinitive: quero surpreendê-lo. If you want someone else to perform the action (subject changes), you need que + subjunctive: Quero que o surpreendas (“I want you to surprise him”).