Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O Pedro às vezes parece arrogante quando fala do trabalho. - Pedro sometimes seems arrogant when he talks about work.

It usually doesn’t add a special meaning; it’s just the normal way to refer to someone:
- O Pedro é meu amigo. – Pedro is my friend.
In more formal or written contexts you may see the name without the article:
- Pedro Silva apresentou o relatório.

So here, O Pedro is simply Pedro, with the usual definite article that European Portuguese normally uses with names.

Do we always have to use the article with names, like o Pedro?

No, not always. Some common cases where the article is not used:

Direct address (vocative):
- Pedro, vem cá! – Pedro, come here! (never O Pedro, vem cá! in this sense)
After the verb chamar-se with your own name:
- Chamo-me Pedro. – My name is Pedro.
In some formal writing, lists, titles, or headlines:
- Pedro Silva, diretor-geral da empresa…

But in everyday speech in Portugal, when you’re talking about someone (not talking to them), using o/a before the name is very normal: O Pedro, A Marta, etc.

What exactly is às in às vezes, and why does it have that grave accent ( à )?

Às is a contraction of the preposition a (to / at) + the feminine plural article as (the).

a
- as → às

The grave accent in às marks this contraction. So literally:

às vezes = at the times → idiomatically sometimes.

Without the accent, as would just be the feminine plural article as (the), not a + as.

Can às vezes go somewhere else in the sentence, or does it have to be after O Pedro?

You have some flexibility with às vezes. All of these are possible:

Às vezes o Pedro parece arrogante quando fala do trabalho.
O Pedro às vezes parece arrogante quando fala do trabalho.
O Pedro parece, às vezes, arrogante quando fala do trabalho. (more written/literary)

Most natural in everyday speech would be the first two.

Putting it after the verb, like O Pedro parece às vezes arrogante…, is possible but sounds a bit less smooth in normal spoken Portuguese.

Why is it parece arrogante and not parece ser arrogante?

With adjectives, Portuguese often uses parecer directly + adjective:

parecer + adjetivo → parece arrogante – seems/looks arrogant

Parecer ser arrogante also exists, but it’s less common and can sound a bit heavier or more speculative, like “seems to be arrogant” rather than the more straightforward “seems arrogant”.

So parece arrogante is the most natural and standard way to say this.

Is arrogante masculine or feminine? Does it change for gender or number?

Arrogante is one of those adjectives that has the same form for masculine and feminine in the singular:

o Pedro é arrogante
a Maria é arrogante

In the plural, you just add -s:

os colegas são arrogantes
as colegas são arrogantes

So it changes only for number, not for gender.

Why is it quando fala do trabalho and not quando ele fala do trabalho? Where did ele go?

Portuguese is a “null subject” language: the subject pronoun is often dropped because the verb form and context make the subject clear.

Here, the subject of fala is clearly the same Pedro from the main clause, so you don’t need ele:

O Pedro às vezes parece arrogante quando fala do trabalho.
→ Pedro sometimes seems arrogant when (he) talks about work.

You could say quando ele fala do trabalho for emphasis or clarity, but it’s not necessary and is less typical in this kind of sentence.

What is do in do trabalho?

Do is a contraction:

de (of / from / about) + o (the, masculine singular) → do

So do trabalho literally means “of the work” / “about the work”.

In English we usually say “about work” with no article, but Portuguese often uses a definite article with general nouns like o trabalho, a escola, a comida, etc.

Could we say quando fala sobre o trabalho instead of quando fala do trabalho? Is there a difference?

Yes, you can say both:

quando fala do trabalho
quando fala sobre o trabalho

Both can correspond to English “when he talks about work.”

Slight nuance (often small or neutral in real use):

falar de / do – very common, slightly more general and idiomatic.
falar sobre – can feel a bit more like “talk about / discuss (the topic of)”; a touch more formal or explicit as “about the subject of”.

In this everyday sentence, do trabalho is the most natural-sounding choice.

Why is the present tense (parece, fala) used here instead of some other tense?

Portuguese, like English, uses the simple present for habitual actions and general tendencies:

O Pedro às vezes parece arrogante – This is something that happens from time to time in general.
quando fala do trabalho – Whenever he talks about work, as a repeated or typical situation.

So the simple present here expresses a habit / repeated behavior, not just something happening right now at this exact moment.