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Eu também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.

Eu também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.
I also phone them to find out if they need help.

Breakdown of Eu também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.

eu
I
também
also
precisar de
to need
a ajuda
the help
para
to
se
if
lhes
them
telefonar
to phone
saber
to find out
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Questions & Answers about Eu também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.

What exactly does lhes mean here?

Lhes is an indirect object pronoun. In this sentence it means to them or to you (plural, formal):

  • Eu também lhes telefono… = I also phone *them / I also phone you (all, formal)…*

It replaces something like a eles / a elas / a vocês (to them / to you all) and avoids repeating a full phrase:

  • Eu também telefono a eles → Eu também lhes telefono.
Why is it lhes and not os or as?

Because telefonar in European Portuguese takes an indirect object: you telephone to someone.

  • telefonar a alguém → to phone someone
  • The corresponding indirect object pronoun is lhe / lhes.

By contrast, os / as are direct object pronouns:

  • Eu vejo os meus amigos → Eu vejo‑os. (I see them – direct object)
  • Eu ajudo os meus amigos → Eu ajudo‑os. (I help them – direct object)

With telefonar, the person is not a direct object but an indirect one:

  • Eu telefono aos meus amigos → Eu lhes telefono.
Who can lhes refer to — only “them”, or also “you”?

Lhes can refer to:

  1. Them

    • Eu também lhes telefono = I also phone them.

  2. You (plural, formal)

    • Talking to a group politely: Eu também lhes telefono = I also phone *you (all).*

In modern European Portuguese, lhes is most often understood as “to them”, unless the context clearly shows you’re addressing a group formally.

Why is the pronoun before the verb (lhes telefono) and not attached after it (telefono‑lhes)?

In European Portuguese, object pronouns can appear:

  • After the verb (enclisis): telefono‑lhes
  • Before the verb (proclisis): lhes telefono

In neutral main clauses, the default in formal written EP is usually after the verb:

  • Eu telefono‑lhes.

But certain words attract the pronoun to come before the verb. One of those is the adverb também (also), when it appears right before the verb phrase:

  • Eu também lhes telefono.

Compare:

  • Eu telefono‑lhes todos os dias. (no attractor → enclisis)
  • Eu também lhes telefono todos os dias. (também triggers proclisis → lhes telefono)

You could also say:

  • Eu telefono‑lhes também. (moving também after the verb makes enclisis natural again)
Can I drop Eu and just say Também lhes telefono?

Yes, that’s very natural in Portuguese:

  • Também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.

Portuguese often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending -o in telefono already shows the subject is “I”. Keeping Eu is possible, but it adds a bit of emphasis:

  • Eu também lhes telefono… → I also call them… (contrast with others who don’t, for example)
What’s the difference between telefonar and ligar?

Both can mean to call / to phone:

  • telefonar (a alguém) – somewhat more formal/standard.
  • ligar (a alguém) – very common in everyday speech.

Examples (European Portuguese):

  • Eu também lhes telefono.
  • Eu também lhes ligo.

Both are fine. In casual conversation, ligar is extremely frequent; telefonar can sound a bit more careful or formal but is perfectly normal.

Why is it telefonar a alguém (or lhes telefono) and not telefonar para alguém?

Standard European Portuguese uses:

  • telefonar a alguém → to phone someone
    • Eu telefono ao João. / Eu lhe telefono.

Telefonar para is also heard (especially telefonar para casa, call home), but for people, telefonar a is the traditional norm.

So in the sentence:

  • Eu também lhes telefono…
    it’s really Eu também telefono a eles / a elas / a vocês…, with a encoded in lhes.
Why para saber and not para saberem?

Both can be grammatically possible, but they mean different things:

  1. Para saber se precisam de ajuda

    • The subject of saber is “I” (the same as telefono).
    • Meaning: so that *I can find out / to find out whether they need help.*

  2. Para saberem se precisam de ajuda

    • The subject of saberem is “they” (or “you (pl.)”).
    • Meaning: so that *they can know / so that you (pl.) can know whether you need help.*

In your sentence, the intended meaning is that you are calling in order to find out, so para saber (non‑personal infinitive) is correct and natural.

Could I say para saber se vocês precisam de ajuda instead of se precisam de ajuda?

Yes. You can make the subject more explicit:

  • Eu também lhes telefono para saber se precisam de ajuda.
    (I also call them to find out if they need help. – “they” is implied.)
  • Eu também lhes telefono para saber se vocês precisam de ajuda.
    (I also call you (pl.) to find out if you need help.)

Just be aware of agreement:

  • If lhes = vocês (“you all”), then precisam and vocês match.
  • If lhes = “them”, then adding vocês would change the meaning (you’d now be talking about “you (pl.)”, not “them”).
Why is it precisam de ajuda and not precisam ajuda?

In European Portuguese, precisar meaning “to need” normally takes the preposition de:

  • precisar de algo / de alguém
    • Eles precisam de ajuda. – They need help.
    • Preciso de dinheiro. – I need money.
    • Ela precisa de ti. – She needs you.

Saying precisar ajuda without de is non‑standard in EP (though you may hear structures without de in some Brazilian varieties, especially before verbs: precisar fazer isto).

So in EP, with a noun like ajuda, you should say:

  • ✅ precisam de ajuda
  • ❌ precisam ajuda (ungrammatical in standard EP)
Can I say para ver se precisam de ajuda instead of para saber se precisam de ajuda?

Yes, that’s very common and sounds natural:

  • Eu também lhes telefono para ver se precisam de ajuda.

Both are idiomatic:

  • para saber se… – literally “to know / to find out whether…”
  • para ver se… – literally “to see whether…”, often used figuratively just like in English.

In practice, ver can sound a bit more colloquial, but both are completely acceptable.

Can I move também to another position, like Eu lhes telefono também?

Yes. Some possible word orders and their feel:

  1. Eu também lhes telefono.

    • Neutral; também emphasises that you too phone them (in addition to others / in addition to doing something else).

  2. Eu lhes telefono também.

    • Still means I phone them as well; the também tends to sound a bit more like “That’s another thing I do” or “I phone them too, among other things.”

  3. Também lhes telefono.

    • No subject pronoun; quite natural; similar emphasis to (1).

Note that changing the position of também can affect whether the pronoun goes before or after the verb:

  • Eu também lhes telefono. (proclisis: lhes telefono)
  • Eu telefono‑lhes também. (enclisis: telefono‑lhes when também comes after)
What tense is telefono, and what kind of time does it refer to?

Telefono is present indicative, 1st person singular of telefonar.

In context it usually expresses:

  • Habitual action:
    • Eu também lhes telefono = I also (regularly / usually) phone them.
  • It can also describe a general present: something you do as a rule.

For a phone call happening right now, European Portuguese tends to use the “estar a + infinitive” construction:

  • Estou a telefonar‑lhes para saber se precisam de ajuda.
    = I’m calling them to see if they need help.
What is the role of se in se precisam de ajuda? Is it the same se as in reflexive verbs?

No, here se is not a pronoun. It is a conjunction meaning if / whether:

  • …para saber se precisam de ajuda.
    = …to find out *if they need help.*

The se that acts as a reflexive/impersonal pronoun appears in structures like:

  • Eles lavam‑se. – They wash themselves.
  • Vende‑se casa. – House for sale.

So:

  • In your sentence: se = if / whether (conjunction).
  • In reflexive/impersonal constructions: se = pronoun.
Is ajuda masculine or feminine, and why is there no article (a ajuda) here?

Ajuda is feminine: a ajuda (the help).

In this sentence, ajuda is used in a general, abstract sense (help in general), so no article is needed:

  • precisam de ajuda = they need help (in general).

Compare:

  • Preciso de ajuda. – I need help.
  • Preciso da tua ajuda. – I need your help. (da = de + a, so the noun is now specific.)

So:

  • No article: de ajuda → general, unspecific help.
  • With article: da ajuda de alguém → specific help from someone.