Question 1

What does the -se in partiu-se do? Does it mean “broke itself”?

Accepted Answer

No one thinks the glass literally “broke itself.” In European Portuguese, -se here is the pronominal/anticausative marker: it tells you the event happened without mentioning an agent. So O copo partiu-se means “The glass broke,” with the focus on the result, not on who caused it. This use of -se is very common with change-of-state verbs (e.g., abriu-se, “it opened,” rasgou-se, “it tore,” fechou-se, “it closed”).

Question 2

Can I just say O copo partiu without -se?

Accepted Answer

You may hear it, and it’s grammatically possible, but in Portugal the version with -se is much more idiomatic for “broke.” Without -se, partir is often read as a transitive “to break (something)” or as “to leave” (for people), so O copo partiu can sound odd or ambiguous. Prefer O copo partiu-se.

Question 3

Is O copo partiu-se a passive voice?

Accepted Answer

Not in the strict grammatical sense. It’s a “middle/anticausative” construction, not the analytic passive. The true passive would be O copo foi partido (durante o jantar), which suggests an agent (someone broke it) and often sounds unnatural for everyday mishaps like a glass breaking.

Question 4

How would I say that someone broke the glass?

Accepted Answer

Use the transitive verb without -se and name (or imply) the agent:
- Alguém partiu o copo.
- O João partiu o copo.
You can add the time phrase: … durante o jantar.

Question 5

Can I invert the word order and say Partiu-se o copo?

Accepted Answer

Yes. European Portuguese readily allows postverbal subjects. Partiu-se o copo is also correct and can sound natural in narratives or when introducing new information. Both orders are fine; O copo partiu-se is the neutral one.

Question 6

Why is it partiu-se (pronoun after the verb) in Portugal, but I often see se before the verb?

Accepted Answer

Clitic placement differs across varieties:
- In European Portuguese, in simple affirmative main clauses with no special trigger, the pronoun goes after the verb: O copo partiu-se (enclisis).
- Proclisis (before the verb) is used when triggered by words like negatives, certain adverbs, relative pronouns, etc.: O copo já se partiu, O copo não se partiu.
- In Brazilian Portuguese, proclisis is the default in speech: O copo se partiu.

Question 7

Why is there a hyphen in partiu-se?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese spelling, object/reflective clitics attach to the verb with a hyphen when they come after it (enclisis): partiu-se, viu-me, diz-te. When the clitic comes before the verb (proclisis), there’s no hyphen: se partiu, me viu, te digo.

Question 8

Is durante o jantar the same as no jantar or ao jantar?

Accepted Answer

- durante o jantar = “during dinner” (over the time span of the meal) — most neutral here.
- no jantar = “at the dinner (event).” It can work, but it may refer to the occasion rather than the time span.
- ao jantar in Portugal often means “at dinner (time)/for dinner” and is more about the mealtime generally (e.g., Comemos sopa ao jantar). For a one-off occurrence like a glass breaking, durante o jantar is the clearest.

Question 9

Do I need the article in durante o jantar? Why not just durante jantar?

Accepted Answer

Use the article. With durante, Portuguese normally uses the definite article before a specific event or period: durante o jantar, durante a reunião, durante a noite. Bare durante jantar is not idiomatic.

Question 10

Can I move the time phrase to the front?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Durante o jantar, o copo partiu-se. When you front an adverbial like this, add a comma.

Question 11

How does the verb change in the plural?

Accepted Answer

The verb agrees with the subject, and -se stays the same:
- Singular: O copo partiu-se.
- Plural: Os copos partiram-se.
Subject–verb inversion also works: Partiram-se os copos.

Question 12

Could I say O copo quebrou instead?

Accepted Answer

That’s the usual way in Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, partir(-se) is the default for breakage of objects like glass. Quebrar exists in European Portuguese, but it’s less common in this everyday sense and is frequent in figurative uses (e.g., quebrar regras) or for particular nuances.

Question 13

What’s the nuance difference among partir-se, estilhaçar-se, and rachar?

Accepted Answer

- partir-se: neutral “to break,” possibly into pieces.
- estilhaçar-se: “to shatter” into many small shards (more violent).
- rachar / rachar-se: “to crack/split” without necessarily breaking apart completely.

Question 14

Does copo mean a drinking glass? What about vidro and taça?

Accepted Answer

- copo = a tumbler/drinking glass.
- taça = a stemmed glass or cup (e.g., wine/champagne glass, dessert cup).
- vidro = glass as a material or a windowpane. O vidro partiu-se usually means the pane/the sheet of glass broke.

Question 15

How would I emphasize that it smashed completely?

Accepted Answer

Add an intensifier or result phrase:
- O copo partiu-se todo.
- O copo partiu-se em mil pedaços.
- O copo estilhaçou-se durante o jantar.

Question 16

Is there a way to show it was inconvenient for me, like “the glass broke on me”?

Accepted Answer

Yes, European Portuguese often uses an “ethical dative”:
- Partiu-se-me o copo durante o jantar.
This doesn’t change who caused it; it adds the nuance that I was adversely affected (it broke on me). Other persons work too: Partiu-se-nos o copo, etc.

Question 17

Any quick pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

Accepted Answer

Approximate guide:
- O copo: “oo KOH-poo” (final -o sounds like “oo”).
- partiu-se: “par-TEEW-sɨ” (unstressed se is a close, reduced vowel like “suh”).
- durante: “doo-RAN-t(ɨ)” (final -e reduced).
- o jantar: “oo zhãn-TAR” (j = “zh,” and ã is nasal).

O copo partiu-se durante o jantar.

Breakdown of O copo partiu-se durante o jantar.

Questions & Answers about O copo partiu-se durante o jantar.

Master Portuguese — from O copo partiu-se durante o jantar to fluency