Question 1

Why is foram proibidos used instead of simply saying proibiram?

Accepted Answer

Foram proibidos is a passive-voice construction (third-person plural of ser + past participle proibidos), meaning “were prohibited.” It emphasizes the action and the object (the plastic bags) rather than who did it. If you said proibiram os sacos de plástico, that would be active voice (“they prohibited the plastic bags”) and you’d need to specify who “they” are.

Question 2

Why does the sentence start with Os sacos de plástico? Can I drop the article?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese often uses the definite article os before plural nouns when talking about a whole category (“plastic bags” in general). You could say Sacos de plástico foram proibidos… (especially in headlines or very succinct statements), but in full sentences it’s more natural to include os.

Question 3

What does de do in sacos de plástico? Isn’t “plastic” an adjective?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, materials are expressed with de + noun: sacos de plástico literally “bags of plastic.” English uses noun-noun compounds (“plastic bags”), but in Portuguese you show the material with de.

Question 4

Why is it na loja and not em loja or no loja?

Accepted Answer

Na is a contraction of em + a (feminine singular). Loja is feminine, so em + a loja → na loja. If it were a masculine place (e.g. mercado), you’d say no mercado.

Question 5

What’s the role of para in para incentivar? Could I use a incentivar instead?

Accepted Answer

Para incentivar means “in order to encourage.” Para introduces purpose. The verb incentivar itself requires a preposition a before another verb when you say “encourage someone to do something,” so you end up with both: para incentivar as pessoas a reutilizar.

Question 6

Why is there an a before reutilizar? Can’t you say incentivar as pessoas reutilizar?

Accepted Answer

After incentivar (when meaning “to encourage someone to do something”), Portuguese requires the preposition a before the infinitive. So it’s always incentivar alguém a fazer (“encourage someone to do”), not incentivar alguém fazer.

Question 7

Why do we say os seus próprios sacos instead of just os seus sacos?

Accepted Answer

Adding próprios (“own”) emphasizes that people should bring the bags they already have. Seus sacos could mean any bags belonging to them; seus próprios sacos stresses “their very own bags.” Also, in Portuguese the possessive seus matches the plural sacos.

Question 8

Why is pano singular in sacos de pano, even though “bags” is plural?

Accepted Answer

Here pano names the material (cloth) and is treated as an uncountable noun, so it stays singular. You say camiseta de algodão, sapatos de couro, sacos de pano—material words don’t agree in number with the item.

Question 9

Could you rewrite as pessoas a reutilizar using the personal infinitive?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can say incentivar as pessoas a reutilizarem os seus próprios sacos de pano. Both constructions are correct:  
- a reutilizar (prepositional infinitive, very common in Portugal)  
- a reutilizarem (personal infinitive, also correct but slightly more formal)

Os sacos de plástico foram proibidos na loja para incentivar as pessoas a reutilizar os seus próprios sacos de pano.

Breakdown of Os sacos de plástico foram proibidos na loja para incentivar as pessoas a reutilizar os seus próprios sacos de pano.

Questions & Answers about Os sacos de plástico foram proibidos na loja para incentivar as pessoas a reutilizar os seus próprios sacos de pano.

Master Portuguese — from Os sacos de plástico foram proibidos na loja para incentivar as pessoas a reutilizar os seus próprios sacos de pano to fluency