Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): A senhora devolveu-me as moedas, mas ficou com a nota. - The lady gave me the coins back, but kept the note.

In European Portuguese, affirmative main clauses without preceding triggers (like não, como, que) use enclisis. That means the clitic pronoun goes after the verb and is linked with a hyphen: devolveu-me. Proclisis (placing me before the verb: me devolveu) only happens when a specific word or structure requires it.

Is me in devolveu-me a direct or indirect object pronoun?

It’s an indirect object pronoun (“to me”). The verb devolver follows the pattern “devolver algo a alguém” — here, as moedas is the direct object (the coins), and me tells you who received them.

Why doesn’t the sentence replace as moedas with a direct object pronoun, forming devolveu-mas?

If you tried to replace as moedas (feminine plural) with as, combined with the indirect me, you’d get devolveu-mas, which is spelled exactly like the conjunction mas (“but”). To avoid that collision, speakers usually keep as moedas in full.

What exactly does ficou com a nota mean?

Ficar com followed by something means “to keep” or “to end up with” that thing. So ficou com a nota translates as “she kept the banknote” or “she ended up with the bill.”

Why is there no subject before ficou in the second clause?

Portuguese often drops the subject pronoun or noun when it’s clear from context. The subject “a senhora” from the first clause carries over into the second, so you don’t need to repeat ela before ficou.

What kind of word is nota here, and how is it different from moeda?

In Portugal, nota means a paper banknote (bill), whereas moeda refers to a coin. That’s why “the coins” is as moedas and “the note” (bill) is a nota.

Why is the preposition com used in ficou com a nota? Could you omit com?

When ficar means “to keep,” it pairs with com to indicate possession (ficar com algo). Without com, ficar generally means “to stay” or “to remain,” not “to keep.”

Why is there a comma before mas?

Just like in English, Portuguese uses a comma before the coordinating conjunction mas (“but”) when linking two independent clauses.

Is a senhora referring to “the lady” (she) or a formal “you” in this sentence?

Here it refers to “the lady” (third person). Even when you address someone formally as o senhor or a senhora, Portuguese grammar still uses third-person verb forms and clitics—context or capitalization (like Senhora at the start of a sentence) tells you whether it’s direct address or description.

Could you replace me with a mim and say devolveu as moedas a mim?

Yes, you can. A mim is the disjunctive pronoun used after prepositions or for emphasis. So ela devolveu as moedas a mim is grammatically correct but less common in neutral speech. Most speakers prefer the clitic me: devolveu-me as moedas.