Breakdown of O Pedro inscreveu-se num concurso de fotografia.
Pedro
Pedro
um
a
de
of
em
in
o concurso
the contest
inscrever-se
to sign up
a fotografia
the photography
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Questions & Answers about O Pedro inscreveu-se num concurso de fotografia.
Why is there a definite article O before Pedro in Portuguese? English often omits articles before names.
In European Portuguese it’s standard to place a definite article (o, a) before personal names, e.g. O Pedro. It’s simply a marker and doesn’t change the meaning. In casual speech you might hear names without articles (especially in Brazilian Portuguese), but in Portugal using O/A + name is very common.
What does the ‐se suffix in inscreveu-se represent?
The -se is a reflexive pronoun attached to the verb inscrever. Inscrever-se means to register oneself. Here, Pedro performs the action on himself.
Why is the reflexive pronoun attached at the end (inscreveu-se) rather than placed before the verb?
European Portuguese favors enclisis (attaching the pronoun to the end of the verb) in main clauses, unless the verb is preceded by certain words (like negatives or question words). Since the sentence starts with O Pedro, the default is inscreveu-se. In Brazilian Portuguese you might hear Pedro se inscreveu, but in Portugal enclisis is the norm here.
Why is num used instead of writing em um separately?
Portuguese commonly contracts em + um = num (and em + uma = numa). Num concurso is just a shorter way to say em um concurso. It’s mandatory in standard writing and very common in speech.
Could we say em um concurso de fotografia instead of num concurso de fotografia?
Yes, you can say em um concurso de fotografia, but writing num concurso de fotografia is more natural and idiomatic. The meaning is the same; using the contraction is simply standard Portuguese usage.
Why is it concurso de fotografia and not concurso para fotografia or concurso sobre fotografia?
In Portuguese the preposition de links the noun concurso to its subject or theme (the contest of photography). Concurso para fotografia would suggest a contest intended to produce photography, and concurso sobre fotografia sounds like a competition about the topic of photography. Concurso de fotografia is the standard, most natural phrasing.
Could the sentence use the preposition no (em + o) instead of num here?
You would use no if you mean in the specific photography contest, for example: O Pedro inscreveu-se no concurso de fotografia da escola. But since the contest is mentioned for the first time and is indefinite, num concurso (em + um) is correct.
Can you also say O Pedro inscreveu o seu nome num concurso de fotografia instead of using the reflexive verb?
Yes, O Pedro inscreveu o seu nome num concurso de fotografia is grammatically fine, but it’s more wordy. Using the reflexive inscreveu-se is shorter and the most common way to express that he registered himself in Portuguese.