Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O senhor não pode entrar sem o cartão de cidadão. - Sir, you cannot enter without your ID card.

In European Portuguese, o senhor is a polite, respectful way to address an adult man you don’t know well (shop, office, police, etc.). It grammatically behaves like third person (he), so the verb is also third person: o senhor pode. The feminine is a senhora. In Portugal, tu is informal/friendly, and você can sound blunt or even rude with strangers (though it’s common in Brazil).

Do I need the article o before senhor?

Yes, when o senhor is the subject (the thing doing the action), you normally include the article: O senhor não pode… If you’re just calling to someone (vocative), you drop it: Senhor, não pode entrar… The first uses o senhor as the subject; the second just addresses the person directly.

Why is the verb pode (not podes) with o senhor?

Because o senhor takes third-person verb forms. Present tense of poder (to be able/allowed): eu posso, tu podes, ele/ela/você/o senhor/a senhora pode, nós podemos, vocês/eles/elas/ os senhores/as senhoras podem. So here: O senhor não pode…

Why is entrar in the infinitive?

After modal-type verbs like poder, the next verb stays in the infinitive: pode entrar (can/may enter), pode esperar (can wait). Only the first verb (pode) is conjugated.

Where does não go in the sentence?

Place não directly before the conjugated verb. With two verbs, it goes before the first one: O senhor não pode entrar. If you say pode não entrar, it means “it’s possible he won’t enter,” which is a different meaning.

Does pode mean can or may here?

Both are possible; context decides. In this sentence it’s clearly permission: “You may not enter” (a rule/prohibition). If you meant physical ability, you’d normally use another verb: não consegue entrar (he can’t manage to enter).

Why sem o cartão de cidadão and not sem cartão de cidadão?

European Portuguese uses definite articles a lot to refer to specific, context-known items. Sem o cartão de cidadão implies “without your ID card (the required one).” Sem cartão de cidadão is more generic (“without a citizen card”) and is possible, but sounds less natural in this rule/checkpoint context.

Does sem contract with articles (like de + o = do)?

No. Sem does not contract. You say sem o, sem a, sem os, sem as. Examples: sem o cartão, sem a chave, sem os documentos. By contrast, de + o = do, em + o = no, etc.

Why cartão de cidadão and not cartão do cidadão?

Cartão de Cidadão is the official name of Portugal’s ID card. In compound nouns with de, the second noun identifies the type of thing: cartão de cidadão (citizen card, a kind of card). Cartão do cidadão would mean “the citizen’s card” (a specific citizen’s card) and isn’t the standard name.

Should I capitalize Cartão de Cidadão?

In official contexts it’s often capitalized as a proper name: Cartão de Cidadão (often abbreviated CC). In casual writing you’ll also see lowercase (cartão de cidadão). Both are understood; capitalization just looks more official.

How would this change for a woman or for more than one person?

Woman: A senhora não pode entrar sem o Cartão de Cidadão.
Plural (men or mixed): Os senhores não podem entrar…
Plural (women): As senhoras não podem entrar… Notice the verb changes to plural podem in the plural forms.

Can I omit o senhor?

Yes. Portuguese often drops the subject if it’s clear: Não pode entrar sem o Cartão de Cidadão. On a sign or at a checkpoint, context tells you who is being addressed. Including o senhor/a senhora makes the addressee explicit and polite in speech.

Do I need em after entrar (entrar em)?

You use entrar em when you mention the place: entrar no edifício (enter the building). If the place is obvious or not specified, entrar can stand alone: não pode entrar (you can’t go in).

Is there a more direct command form?

Yes, the negative imperative: Não entre sem o Cartão de Cidadão. Your original sentence is a polite statement of a rule (não pode…), while não entre… is a direct prohibition/command. Both are acceptable; the choice depends on tone and context.

How do I show it’s “your” card explicitly?

You can add a possessive: sem o seu Cartão de Cidadão. In Portugal, seu/sua can be ambiguous (his/her/your), so people sometimes clarify: sem o seu Cartão de Cidadão, senhor or sem o Cartão de Cidadão do senhor. In many contexts, the plain definite article already implies “your.”

Any pronunciation tips for tricky bits?

senhor: nh = [ɲ], like the “ny” in “canyon” → roughly “suh-NYOR.”
não / cartão / cidadão: ão is a nasalized “ow.”
pode: the d often sounds soft, like “th” in “this” for many speakers.
de (unstressed) is like a quick “dih.” A careful European Portuguese pronunciation is roughly: [u sɨˈɲoɾ nɐ̃w̃ ˈpɔðɨ ẽˈtɾaɾ sɐ̃j̃ u kɐɾˈtɐ̃w̃ dɨ siðɐˈðɐ̃w̃].