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Eu dou flores ao vizinho.

Eu dou flores ao vizinho.
I give flowers to the neighbour.
FromLesson 29inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)
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Breakdown of Eu dou flores ao vizinho.

eu
I
a flor
the flower
dar
to give
o vizinho
the neighbour
ao
to

Questions & Answers about Eu dou flores ao vizinho.

Why do we say ao vizinho instead of a o vizinho?
In Portuguese the preposition a (meaning “to”) contracts with the masculine singular definite article o (“the”) to form ao. So a + o vizinho becomes ao vizinho, just like a + a becomes à for feminine.
Why is there no article before flores? Would it ever be as flores?

Here flores is used in an indefinite, general sense (“flowers” in general), so we drop the article altogether.

  • If you say as flores, you are referring to specific flowers known to both speaker and listener (“the flowers”).
  • If you want to stress “some flowers,” you could add an indefinite article: Dou umas flores ao vizinho.
Can I omit the subject pronoun eu and just say Dou flores ao vizinho?

Yes. Portuguese verb endings already tell you the person.

  • Dou clearly means “I give,” so Eu is optional and only added for emphasis or contrast.
  • Dou flores ao vizinho is perfectly natural.
Which is the direct object and which is the indirect object in Eu dou flores ao vizinho?
  • flores is the direct object (the thing being given).
  • ao vizinho is the indirect object (the recipient).
    The verb dar (“to give”) follows the pattern dar [D.O.] a/alguém.
Could I replace ao vizinho with an object pronoun? If so, how?

Yes. The third-person indirect-object pronoun for singular is lhe. You can say:
• Dou-lhe flores. (standard European Portuguese uses enclisis in affirmative sentences)
• Optionally with the subject pronoun for clarity or emphasis: Eu dou-lhe flores.

Is it correct to say Eu dou ao vizinho flores? Does word order change the meaning?
Grammatically it’s possible, but less common. In Portuguese we normally place the direct object (flores) right after the verb and then the indirect object (ao vizinho). Reordering it to dou ao vizinho flores can sound marked or poetic and may emphasize ao vizinho.
Can I use a singular flower instead, like Eu dou uma flor ao vizinho?

Absolutely. Changing to singular simply matches the article and noun:
• Eu dou uma flor ao vizinho. (“I give one flower to the neighbor.”)
The choice between singular/plural depends on how many flowers you’re giving.

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