A voz dele rompeu o silêncio da sala.

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Breakdown of A voz dele rompeu o silêncio da sala.

• dele: his
• a sala: the room
• o silêncio: the silence

Questions & Answers about A voz dele rompeu o silêncio da sala.

Why is the feminine article a used before voz?

Because voz is a feminine noun in Portuguese. Feminine singular nouns take a (or uma in the indefinite), so a voz means “the voice.”

Why is dele used for “his” instead of seu?

In European Portuguese, seu/sua can refer to “his,” “her,” or “their,” which can be ambiguous. Using dele (“of him”) makes it clear you mean “his.” So a voz dele literally means “the voice of him.”

What is rompeu, and what tense does it represent?

Rompeu is the third person singular of the verb romper in the pretérito perfeito (simple past). It describes a completed action in the past: “(he) broke” or “(it) broke through.”

What does rompeu convey here—does it just mean “broke”?

Literally, rompeu means “broke,” but idiomatically it suggests something forcefully cutting through or interrupting a space. So rompeu o silêncio means “broke through the silence,” giving a vivid image of the voice shattering the quiet.

Why is there no preposition between rompeu and ?