Breakdown of O canalizador disse a verdade sobre o problema; nada de mentiras.
de
of
sobre
about
nada
nothing
o problema
the problem
o canalizador
the plumber
dizer
to tell
a verdade
the truth
a mentira
the lie
Questions & Answers about O canalizador disse a verdade sobre o problema; nada de mentiras.
What does the word in Portugal canalizador mean, and are there other common words for “plumber”?
In European Portuguese, canalizador means “plumber.” Two common alternatives:
- picheleiro (widely used in Portugal, more colloquial/regional)
- In Brazil, the usual word is encanador.
Feminine forms exist: a canalizadora / a picheleira (you’ll also hear people just use the masculine as a gender‑neutral job title in some contexts).
Why does the sentence start with O canalizador? Do we need the definite article?
Yes. Portuguese normally uses a definite article before a specific person’s profession used as a noun phrase: O canalizador disse… Dropping the article (Canalizador disse…) sounds like a headline. Use:
- O canalizador = the plumber (a specific one)
- Um canalizador = a plumber (unspecified)
- Os canalizadores = plumbers (in general or a known group)
What tense is disse, and how does dizer conjugate in the past?
Why is it disse a verdade and not falou a verdade?
Portuguese strongly prefers dizer with “truth/lie”:
- dizer a verdade / dizer uma mentira You use falar for the topic or language:
- falar sobre o problema (to talk about the problem)
- dizer que… (to say that…) rather than falar que in European Portuguese.
Why sobre o problema and not do problema after a verdade?
Why is it o problema even though it ends in -a? Isn’t that usually feminine?
What exactly does nada de mentiras mean and how is it used?
Could I say sem mentiras instead of nada de mentiras?
Yes, sem mentiras (“without lies”) is perfectly fine and a bit more neutral. Nada de mentiras feels more emphatic/colloquial, like laying down a rule: “Absolutely no lies.” In formal writing: sem qualquer mentira, sem nenhuma mentira.
Does mentiras have to be plural? Can I use the singular?
After nada de, the noun is typically bare and often plural to mean “no X at all,” so nada de mentiras is the standard idiom. Singular nada de mentira is uncommon and usually needs a modifier to sound natural (e.g., nada de mentira descarada). For the verb form, you can say Nada de mentir! (“No lying!”).
Is the semicolon before nada de mentiras correct? What does it add?
Where do object pronouns go with dizer in Portugal vs Brazil? For example, “He told us the truth.”
Can I say disse sobre o problema?
How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?
What’s the feminine form or a gender‑inclusive way to say it?
Can I use contar instead of dizer here?
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