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Campanha sensibiliza os vizinhos a reciclar o plástico.

Campanha sensibiliza os vizinhos a reciclar o plástico.
The campaign encourages the neighbours to recycle the plastic.
FromLesson 28inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Campanha sensibiliza os vizinhos a reciclar o plástico.

What does sensibilizar mean and how is it conjugated here?
Sensibilizar means “to make someone aware” or “to raise awareness.” It’s a regular -ar verb. In the sentence, it appears in the third person singular present indicative: (ela) sensibiliza (“it raises awareness”).
Why is it a reciclar instead of para reciclar?
In European Portuguese, the verb sensibilizar usually takes a + infinitive when introducing the action someone is encouraged to do. Using para would express purpose (“in order to recycle”), not the act they are being sensitized to.
Why do we have the definite article in os vizinhos instead of leaving it out?
Portuguese generally uses the definite article before nouns when talking about a group in general. Os vizinhos means “the neighbors” as a whole, similar to English “neighbors.” Omitting it (just saying vizinhos) would sound less natural.
Could we add an indefinite article, as in Uma campanha sensibiliza os vizinhos…?
Yes. Saying Uma campanha sensibiliza os vizinhos a reciclar o plástico is perfectly fine. Adding uma simply specifies “a campaign.” Headlines or titles often drop the article for brevity.
Why is it o plástico with o when referring to plastic material?
Portuguese uses the definite article for general or abstract concepts. O plástico refers to plastic in general. It’s equivalent to English “plastic,” but Portuguese grammar prefers keeping the article.
What’s the difference between o plástico (singular) and plásticos (plural) here?
O plástico (singular) refers to the material in general. Plásticos (plural) would emphasize individual plastic items (e.g. bottles, containers). Both are correct, but the singular with article is more common when talking about recycling the material as a whole.
How is sensibiliza pronounced in European Portuguese?
It’s pronounced [sẽ.si.bi.’li.za]. The stress falls on the li syllable. The final -a is an open sound like [ɐ] or [ə].
Could we rephrase the sentence in the passive voice?
Yes. You could say Os vizinhos são sensibilizados a reciclar o plástico. Passive voice is more formal or descriptive, while the active Campanha sensibiliza… is punchier and common in campaign messages.
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