Anota a data na tua agenda para não esqueceres.

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Questions & Answers about Anota a data na tua agenda para não esqueceres.

What person, mood and form is anota? Why not anote?

Anota is the 2nd person singular informal affirmative imperative (tu). In Portuguese the affirmative imperative for tu is formed by taking the present indicative anotas and dropping the final -s, which gives anota.
Anote would be the 3rd person (formal você) imperative.

Why use na tua agenda and not em tua agenda or just tua agenda?
  1. na is the contraction of em + a (feminine a agenda), so em a tua agendana tua agenda.
  2. With possessive pronouns before most nouns you normally include the definite article (a tua casa, o teu carro). Only with close family members can you drop it (e.g. minha mãe, teu pai).
Why do we use tua instead of sua?

tua is the informal 2nd person singular possessive, matching tu.
sua is 3rd person or formal 2nd person (quando usamos você).
If you addressed someone as você in Portugal or Brazil, you would say:
Anote a data na sua agenda para não esquecer.

Why is it para não esqueceres (infinitive) and not para não te esqueças (subjunctive)?

After para indicating purpose, Portuguese normally uses an infinitive. Here it’s the personal infinitive esqueceres, which already carries the subject tu.
If you prefer a finite clause you must add que and the subjunctive:
para que não te esqueças.

Why don’t we repeat a data in para não esqueceres? Should it be para não esqueceres a data?

Since a data has just been mentioned, it’s clear what you must not forget. You can repeat it (no error):
Anota a data na tua agenda para não esqueceres a data,
but native speakers often drop the repeated object for brevity.

What does agenda mean in Portuguese? Is it the same as in English?

In Portuguese agenda is a diary or planner where you write appointments and dates.
In English agenda usually means the list of topics to be discussed at a meeting.

Are there synonyms for anotar in this context?

Yes. You could use:
apontar (more casual) – “Aponta a data na tua agenda.”
registar (more formal) – “Regista a data na tua agenda.”

Can I change the word order to Anota na tua agenda a data?

Yes. Both orders are grammatically correct.
Anota a data na tua agenda (focus on what to note)
Anota na tua agenda a data (focus on where to note)

Should I put a comma before para não esqueceres?

It’s optional.
• Without comma: “Anota a data na tua agenda para não esqueceres.”
• With comma for a slight pause: “Anota a data na tua agenda, para não esqueceres.”

How would I express this in a very formal or business context?

You could use the formal imperative or a more impersonal construction:
• “Anote a data na sua agenda para não esquecer.”
• “Registe a data na sua agenda de modo a não a esquecer.”