Breakdown of Para mim, o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
Questions & Answers about Para mim, o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
After a preposition like para, Portuguese normally uses the tonic object pronouns (mim, ti, si, nós, vós) rather than the subject pronouns (eu, tu, ele, etc.).
So:
- para mim = for me / as for me / in my opinion
- para eu would sound wrong here in European Portuguese.
You may sometimes see para eu when it’s clearly the subject of a following verb in the infinitive, e.g.:
- É importante para eu entender isto.
(It’s important for me to understand this.)
But in the set phrase Para mim meaning in my opinion, there is no following verb, so mim is the only correct choice. Para eu at the beginning of an opinion sentence (Para eu, o defeito dele…) is ungrammatical in standard European Portuguese.
Dele is a contraction of the preposition de + the pronoun ele:
- de
- ele → dele = of him / his
In the sentence:
- o defeito dele literally = the defect of him, i.e. his flaw / his defect.
The full set is:
- dele = of him / his
- dela = of her / her
- deles = of them (masc./mixed) / their
- delas = of them (fem.) / their
These forms are used very often in European Portuguese to express possession, especially to avoid ambiguity.
Both are grammatically possible:
- o defeito dele = his defect
- o seu defeito = also his defect
But in real European Portuguese usage:
- dele is preferred because it’s unambiguous: it can only mean of him.
- seu/sua/seus/suas can mean:
- his / her / their
- or your (formal singular and plural)
So in a context like:
- Ele acha que o seu defeito é falar demasiado depressa.
o seu defeito could be understood as his own defect, but also possibly your defect, depending on context. To avoid this, speakers usually say:
- Ele acha que o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
So o defeito dele is the clearest and most natural option in most everyday situations.
Para mim here is an introductory phrase meaning in my opinion; it’s an adverbial phrase placed at the beginning of the sentence.
In Portuguese (as in English), such initial elements are normally separated by a comma:
- Para mim, o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
You could technically omit the comma in very informal writing, but the standard, most natural punctuation is with the comma. It reflects the natural pause in speech:
- Para mim, // o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
Portuguese often uses the infinitive as a kind of noun to express actions in a general way, similar to English using -ing:
- Falar = speaking / to speak
- O defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa.
→ His flaw is speaking too fast.
The pattern is:
- o defeito dele é + infinitive
- O problema é entender isto. – The problem is understanding this.
- A solução é esperar. – The solution is to wait.
You could also rephrase with a finite clause:
- O defeito dele é que ele fala demasiado depressa.
This is grammatically correct but heavier and less elegant. The original with the infinitive is smoother and more idiomatic.
Yes, it is grammatically correct:
- O defeito dele é que ele fala demasiado depressa.
Differences in feel:
o defeito dele é falar demasiado depressa
- More compact and neutral.
- Sounds very natural and typical in both spoken and written language.
o defeito dele é que ele fala demasiado depressa
- Sounds more explanatory, like you’re explicitly stating “the defect is that he speaks too fast”.
- Slightly more wordy and less elegant; in everyday speech it’s fine, but the infinitive version is often preferred.
So your sentence would be understood perfectly, but the original structure is stylistically better.
In European Portuguese:
- demasiado and demais can often be used as near-synonyms meaning too / too much / too many.
In your sentence:
- falar demasiado depressa
- falar depressa demais
Both can be understood as “to speak too fast”.
Nuances:
- demasiado is a bit more neutral/formal and is very common in Portugal.
- demais is a bit more colloquial and is very common especially in Brazil, but also understood and used in Portugal.
In Portugal, falar demasiado depressa probably sounds the most standard/neutral; falar depressa demais is also fine but feels slightly more informal / speech-like.
Because in this sentence demasiado is functioning as an adverb, not an adjective.
- depressa (fast, quickly) is an adverb.
- demasiado here modifies that adverb (too fast), so demasiado itself is also adverbial and therefore invariable (it doesn’t change for gender or number).
So:
- falar demasiado depressa = to speak too fast
If demasiado were an adjective before a noun, then it would agree:
- demasiado trabalho – too much work
- demasiada água – too much water
- demasiados erros – too many mistakes
- demasiadas pessoas – too many people
But with depressa, it’s an adverb → stays demasiado.
Yes, you can, and it will be understood:
- Ele fala demasiado rápido.
- Ele fala demasiado depressa.
Both mean He speaks too fast.
Nuances in European Portuguese:
- depressa is the most typical adverb meaning quickly, fast in everyday speech, especially for things like speaking, walking, eating.
- rápido can be:
- an adjective: um carro rápido (a fast car)
- or an adverb in informal usage: Ele fala rápido.
In Portugal:
- fala demasiado depressa sounds a bit more idiomatic and standard.
- fala demasiado rápido is also common and correct, just slightly more informal when used adverbially.
They’re very close in meaning:
- Para mim, o defeito dele é…
- Na minha opinião, o defeito dele é…
Both mean In my opinion, his flaw is…
Nuance:
- Para mim is shorter, more informal, very common in speech.
- Na minha opinião is a bit more explicit and can sound slightly more formal or careful, suitable for writing or more serious discussions.
Grammatically, both are fine, and you can treat them as interchangeable in this type of sentence.