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Esse prémio foi entregue pela gerente da empresa.

Esse prémio foi entregue pela gerente da empresa.
That award was handed over by the company manager.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)
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Questions & Answers about Esse prémio foi entregue pela gerente da empresa.

What does foi entregue mean and how is the passive voice formed in Portuguese?

Foi entregue means “was delivered” or “was awarded.” In Portuguese the passive voice is built with:

  1. An appropriate tense of ser (here foi = 3rd person singular, past preterite of ser)
    • the past participle of the main verb (entregue, from entregar).
Why is pela used here and what does it stand for?

Pela is the contraction of por + a. In passive constructions por marks the agent (“by…”), and a is the definite article for the feminine noun gerente.
So pela gerente = “by the (female) manager.”

Why does the sentence say da empresa and not de a empresa?

Da is simply the contracted form of de + a. That contraction is mandatory in Portuguese whenever de is followed by the feminine singular definite article a.
So de + a empresa → da empresa (“of the company”).

Why is esse prémio used instead of este prémio or aquele prémio?

Portuguese demonstratives distinguish proximity:

  • este = near the speaker
  • esse = near the listener or referring back to something just mentioned
  • aquele = far from both
    Here esse prémio points to “that award” (probably already introduced or closer to the listener).
How would you express the same idea in the active voice?

Swap subject and agent and use the verb in past tense:
A gerente da empresa entregou esse prémio.
(“The company’s manager delivered/awarded that prize.”)

Can gerente refer to a male manager as well?

Yes. Gerente is an epicene noun—it doesn’t change form for gender. The article shows the gender:

  • o gerente = male manager
  • a gerente = female manager
Why is the past participle entregue and not entregado?

Portuguese has two participles for entregar:

  • Regular: entregado
  • Irregular: entregue
    Both are correct, but entregue is more commonly used in formal passive constructions in European Portuguese.
What’s the difference between foi entregue and está entregue?
  • Foi entregue uses ser
    • past participle to focus on the action (“it was delivered/awarded”).
  • Está entregue uses estar
    • past participle to describe the current state (“it is delivered/awarded,” implying it remains in that condition).

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