Breakdown of A gerente quer sensibilizar os funcionários para reciclar todo o plástico.
querer
to want
para
to
todo
all
o funcionário
the employee
a gerente
the manager
o plástico
the plastic
reciclar
to recycle
sensibilizar
to make aware
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Questions & Answers about A gerente quer sensibilizar os funcionários para reciclar todo o plástico.
Why is there a definite article a before gerente, and does gerente change its form for masculine/feminine?
In European Portuguese, it’s normal to use the definite article with job titles: a gerente refers to “the manager.” The noun gerente is of common gender—it doesn’t change its ending. You simply choose o (masc.) or a (fem.) based on who you’re talking about.
What tense and person is quer here?
Quer is the third-person singular of querer in the present indicative. It means “he/she/it wants” and matches the subject a gerente.
What does sensibilizar mean in this context, and how does it work grammatically?
Sensibilizar means “to raise awareness” or “to sensitize.” It’s a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object: sensibilizar alguém. In the sentence, os funcionários is the object being sensitized.
Why do we have para + infinitive (para reciclar) instead of a finite clause with the subjunctive?
Here para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to recycle”). Portuguese offers two common ways to show purpose after verbs of intention:
1) para + infinitive (simple or personal) when the doer is clear.
2) para que + subjunctive when you want to stress a different subject or add emphasis.
Could we use the subjunctive or the personal infinitive instead of the simple infinitive reciclar?
Yes. Alternatives include:
- para que reciclem todo o plástico (subjunctive)
- para os funcionários reciclarem todo o plástico (personal infinitive)
Both are correct; the simple infinitive (para reciclar) is just more concise and common.
Why is it todo o plástico and not just todo plástico?
The standard pattern is todo + definite article + noun (todo o plástico) to mean “all the plastic.” In casual speech you might hear todo plástico, but including o is the norm.
Why do we use os before funcionários?
Portuguese uses the definite article with plural nouns when referring to a specific group. Os funcionários means “the employees.” Omitting the article would make it sound more general or unspecified.
Is sensibilizar the same as conscientizar?
They’re near-synonyms meaning “to raise awareness.” In Portugal, sensibilizar is more common and often carries a slightly more emotional or empathic tone, whereas conscientizar is more frequent in Brazil and can feel more cognitive or rational.