Breakdown of Eu pergunto a Ana se ela precisa de ajuda.
eu
I
Ana
Ana
ela
she
precisar de
to need
a ajuda
the help
se
if
perguntar a
to ask
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Questions & Answers about Eu pergunto a Ana se ela precisa de ajuda.
Why do we use a before Ana?
In Portuguese when you say to ask someone something, the person you’re addressing is marked as an indirect object and must take the preposition a. So perguntar a Ana means ask Ana. If the person’s name were masculine (for example o Pedro), you’d contract to ao Pedro.
Could we say para Ana instead of a Ana?
In European Portuguese the standard preposition with perguntar is a. para Ana or the colloquial pra Ana is common in Brazilian Portuguese, but in Portugal it sounds informal or non-standard.
Why is there se before ela precisa de ajuda?
Here se functions like the English word if in indirect yes/no questions. It introduces the subordinate clause meaning I ask Ana if she needs help. For wh-questions you would use words like o que, onde, quando and so on.
Why do we say precisar de ajuda instead of just precisar ajuda?
The verb precisar requires the preposition de before a noun. You always say precisar de algo, for example precisar de ajuda, precisar de dinheiro, precisar de tempo.
Can we omit the subject pronoun ela in se ela precisa de ajuda?
Yes. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates the subject. You can say Eu pergunto a Ana se precisa de ajuda and the meaning stays the same. Including ela is optional for emphasis or clarity.
Can we replace a Ana with a clitic pronoun?
Yes. Instead of a Ana you can use the indirect-object clitic lhe (singular). For example Eu lhe pergunto se precisa de ajuda.
Where does that clitic lhe go in European Portuguese?
In formal European Portuguese the default is enclisis, so you attach it after the verb: Eu pergunto-lhe se precisa de ajuda. However in everyday speech (both in Portugal and Brazil) you will often hear proclisis: Eu lhe pergunto se precisa de ajuda. Both versions are understood.
Are there differences in Brazilian Portuguese for this sentence?
Yes. Brazilian speakers typically say perguntar pra instead of perguntar a. You will hear Eu pergunto pra Ana se ela precisa de ajuda. That is perfectly natural in Brazil, but pra is non-standard in Portugal.