Breakdown of Podem alargar estes sapatos?
poder
to be able to
o sapato
the shoe
estes
these
alargar
to stretch
Questions & Answers about Podem alargar estes sapatos?
Why is it Podem and not Pode?
Podem is the 3rd-person plural of poder and addresses more than one person (like shop staff) or a group you’re speaking to. Pode is the singular form, used when you’re addressing one person politely. In a shop, both are common:
- One clerk: Pode alargar estes sapatos?
- Several staff / addressing the shop as a team: Podem alargar estes sapatos?
Is this polite enough for a shop? How can I soften it?
Yes, it’s polite, especially if you add a courtesy phrase. Options:
- Pode/Podem alargar estes sapatos, por favor?
- Pode/Podem alargar estes sapatos, se faz favor? (very common in Portugal)
- Softer via tense: Podiam/Podiam alargar estes sapatos? or more formal Poderiam/Poderiam alargar estes sapatos?
Do I need to say vocês? For example, Vocês podem…?
No. Portuguese normally drops subject pronouns. Podem alargar… is natural and often more polite. Vocês podem… is grammatically fine but can sound more direct. For extra formality you might hear Os senhores podem…
Could Podem be understood as They can?
In isolation, podem could mean they can. In a direct question to staff, context and eye contact make it clearly mean you (plural). If you need to be explicit, add a vocative like Desculpem or a courtesy phrase: Desculpem, podem alargar…?
What exactly does alargar mean here? Are there better verbs for shoes?
Alargar means to make wider—exactly the verb used for stretching shoes. Alternatives like esticar or alongar are not idiomatic for this service; esticar is to stretch something elastic, alongar is to lengthen. For shoe repair/alteration, stick with alargar.
Do I need a preposition after alargar?
No. Alargar is transitive here and takes a direct object:
- alargar estes sapatos (correct) No preposition is required.
Can I replace estes sapatos with a pronoun? How?
Yes. You can say:
- Podem alargá-los? When attaching -los to an infinitive ending in -r, Portuguese drops the -r and adds an accent to keep the stress: alargar → alargá-los.
Where does an indirect object pronoun go? For example, for me: “Can you widen my shoes for me?”
Both placements are accepted in European Portuguese:
- More idiomatic: Podem alargar-me os sapatos?
- Also heard: Podem-me alargar os sapatos? If you want to use a possessive instead: Podem alargar os meus sapatos? (in Portugal, possessives commonly take the article: os meus).
Is the word order okay for a question? Do I need inversion?
It’s perfect. Portuguese forms yes/no questions with normal word order plus rising intonation and a question mark:
- Podem alargar estes sapatos? No inversion or auxiliary is needed.
Why estes and not esses? What’s the difference in Portugal?
In European Portuguese:
- este/estes = near the speaker (you’re holding or pointing at them near you)
- esse/esses = near the listener (the clerk is holding them)
- aquele/aqueles = far from both So if the clerk has the shoes in hand, Esses sapatos would be more precise. In practice, people sometimes relax this distinction, but it’s good to know.
Does estes agree with sapatos?
Yes. Sapatos is masculine plural, so the demonstrative must be masculine plural: estes sapatos. Examples:
- estas botas (feminine plural)
- este sapato (masculine singular)
Can I say estes os sapatos?
No. Don’t double up determiners. Use either estes sapatos (demonstrative) or os sapatos (definite article), not both.
How would I ask if only one shoe needs widening?
Use the singular and, if needed, specify left or right:
- Pode/Podem alargar este sapato?
- Pode/Podem alargar o sapato direito/esquerdo?
Is Pode/Podem about permission or ability? Would Consegue/Conseguem or É possível sound better?
Pode/Podem can express permission or possibility, but in service contexts it’s a standard polite request. Alternatives:
- Consegue/Conseguem alargar estes sapatos? (ability-focused, also polite)
- É possível alargar estes sapatos? (impersonal, very polite)
Where do I put por favor?
Any of these are fine:
- Por favor, podem alargar estes sapatos?
- Podem alargar estes sapatos, por favor?
- Podem, por favor, alargar estes sapatos?
How do I make it slightly softer or more hedged?
Use a diminutive or softener:
- Podem alargar estes sapatos um bocadinho? (a little)
- Será que podem alargar estes sapatos? (hedged)
- Se for possível, podem alargar estes sapatos? (very polite)
What’s the present-tense conjugation I should know for poder?
- eu posso
- tu podes
- ele/ela/o senhor/a senhora pode
- nós podemos
- vocês/eles/elas podem In Portugal, for polite singular you typically use the 3rd person (pode) with no explicit subject: Pode… (implied o senhor/a senhora).
Is there a Brazilian Portuguese difference I should be aware of?
Mainly in demonstratives and politeness conventions:
- You’ll often hear Vocês podem alargar esses sapatos? (they use vocês more, and esses more broadly)
- Possessives often drop the article in Brazil: meus sapatos vs Portugal’s os meus sapatos. Your original sentence is perfect European Portuguese.
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