Breakdown of Os manifestantes gritam palavras de ordem através de um megafone antigo.
Questions & Answers about Os manifestantes gritam palavras de ordem através de um megafone antigo.
In European Portuguese, the definite article (o, a, os, as) is used more often than in English.
- Os manifestantes ≈ the protesters / the demonstrators (a specific group the speaker has in mind, e.g. the ones we can see or have been talking about).
- Just manifestantes (without article) is possible but sounds more generic, like protesters (in general), or it can sound like a headline style: "Manifestantes gritam palavras de ordem".
In a normal descriptive sentence, Portuguese usually prefers the article:
Os manifestantes gritam… is the natural, neutral choice when describing a specific situation.
Manifestantes is a general word for people taking part in a manifestação (demonstration, protest, rally).
- It usually corresponds to protesters or demonstrators in English.
- It does not by itself imply violence or peace; it’s neutral. Context gives that nuance.
There is also protestantes, but that usually means Protestants (the religious group), not “protesters.” So for street protests, use manifestantes.
Both are possible, but European Portuguese uses the simple present a lot to describe actions happening right now:
- Os manifestantes gritam… = The protesters are shouting…
- Os manifestantes estão a gritar… also means “are shouting,” but it emphasizes the ongoing process a bit more.
In many contexts, especially in narration or description, gritam is perfectly natural for “are shouting” and doesn’t sound “less continuous” the way simple present often does in English.
Literally, palavras de ordem = “words of order,” but that’s not how it’s understood in context.
Idiomatic meaning:
- palavras de ordem = slogans, chants, short political or protest phrases that people repeat together:
- e.g. “No justice, no peace!”, “People united will never be defeated!”, etc.
It’s a fixed expression in Portuguese for protest slogans, and also used more broadly for rallying cries or catchphrases in political or social contexts.
Palavras de ordem is a set expression:
- palavras = words
- de ordem = of order / of command / of directive (historically)
- Together: slogans / rallying cries
A few points:
- The fixed phrase is palavras de ordem (singular ordem), even though palavras is plural.
- You can technically say uma palavra de ordem (one slogan), but the idiom is most often seen in the plural.
- palavras de ordens is incorrect; ordem doesn’t pluralize here.
- palavras de comandos is not idiomatic; it would sound like “words of commands,” not the usual way to say “slogans.”
So you should simply memorize palavras de ordem as the expression for slogans in protest/political contexts.
In Portuguese, after many verbs (including gritar, “to shout”), you put the direct object without a preposition:
- gritar algo = shout something
- gritar palavras de ordem = shout slogans
- gritar o nome de alguém = shout someone’s name
You only add a preposition if the verb meaning changes or takes an indirect object:
- gritar a alguém = shout to someone
- gritar por ajuda = shout for help
So here palavras de ordem is the direct object, so no de or por is needed.
Através de literally means through, and is used here in a physical, literal sense:
- gritam… através de um megafone = they shout through a megaphone (the sound passes through it).
Possible alternatives and their nuances:
- com um megafone antigo
- “with an old megaphone” — focuses more on having/using the megaphone, but doesn’t clearly express the idea of sound going through it.
- por um megafone antigo
- Can sometimes be understood, but it’s much less idiomatic for this meaning. Por isn’t the natural choice for “through a device” in this case.
- ao megafone
- This is also used: gritar ao megafone ≈ “to shout using a megaphone,” but it doesn’t explicitly picture the sound going through the megaphone as strongly as através de.
So através de um megafone is a very clear and natural way to say through a megaphone.
Através de is used both literally and metaphorically.
Literal:
- A luz entra através da janela.
The light enters through the window. - Vejo o jardim através do vidro.
I see the garden through the glass.
Metaphorical / abstract:
- A mensagem foi transmitida através da rádio.
The message was transmitted through the radio. - Conseguiu o emprego através de um amigo.
He/She got the job through a friend.
In your sentence, it’s mostly literal (sound going through a megaphone), but also a bit instrumental/abstract (the megaphone as a medium).
Um megafone antigo uses the indefinite article (um):
- um megafone antigo ≈ “an old megaphone” (non‑specific; we haven’t mentioned it before, it’s just “some old megaphone” they’re using).
If you say o megafone antigo:
- o megafone antigo ≈ “the old megaphone” — a specific one that speaker and listener already know about or that’s clearly identifiable in the context.
So através de um megafone antigo suggests: they’re using some old megaphone (not one we already know about).
In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun:
- megafone antigo = old megaphone
- palavras bonitas = beautiful words
Antigo can appear before or after, but the meaning shifts a bit:
- um megafone antigo
- neutral: a megaphone that is old in age.
- um antigo megafone
- more likely to mean “a former megaphone (of someone)” in some contexts or give a slightly more literary feel; with objects it’s less common and can sound odd.
With people, the contrast is clearer:
- um amigo antigo = a friend who is old (or long‑standing)
- um antigo amigo = a former friend (you’re no longer friends)
For a physical object here, megafone antigo is the normal way to say “old megaphone.”
Portuguese has grammatical gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). Articles and adjectives must agree with the noun:
os manifestantes
- manifestantes: plural, usually masculine by default if mixed group.
- os: masculine plural article matching manifestantes.
palavras de ordem
- palavras: feminine plural.
- No article here, but if you added one it would be as palavras de ordem (feminine plural).
um megafone antigo
- megafone: masculine singular.
- um: masculine singular indefinite article.
- antigo: masculine singular adjective agreeing with megafone.
So you always match article/adjective to the grammatical gender and number of the noun.
Yes. In European Portuguese, de + um often contracts to dum (and de + uma to duma) in informal written and spoken language:
- através dum megafone antigo = através de um megafone antigo
Both are grammatically correct.
Nuance:
- de um – more neutral, slightly more formal or careful writing.
- dum – very common in speech, informal writing, and some narrative styles.
For learners, de um is the safest to write; dum is great to recognize and use once you’re comfortable.
Approximate European Portuguese pronunciation (not IPA, just a guide):
- Os → sounds like “ush” (the s often sounds like English “sh” before a consonant)
- manifestantes → “mah-nee-fesh-TAN-tesh”
- gritam → “GREE-tuhm” (final -am often like a nasal “uhm”)
- palavras → “pah-LAH-vrash”
- de → very reduced, almost like a quick “d(uh)” or just a link
- ordem → “OHR-deng” (final -em nasal)
- através → “ah-trah-VESH”
- de um → usually linked; sounds close to “dee-oom” or more reduced, “j-oom”
- megafone → “meh-gah-FOH-neh”
- antigo → “ahn-TEE-goo”
Spoken smoothly, you get something like:
“Ush mah-nee-fesh-TAN-tesh GREE-tuhm pah-LAH-vrash d’ OHR-deng ah-trah-VESH d’oom meh-gah-FOH-neh ahn-TEE-goo.”
The exact quality of vowels and nasal sounds is distinctively European Portuguese, often shorter and more closed than in Brazilian Portuguese.
Yes, that sentence is perfectly correct in European Portuguese.
Comparison:
- Os manifestantes gritam…
- Simple present, but very commonly used for actions happening right now. Neutral and natural in descriptions, news, narration, etc.
- Os manifestantes estão a gritar…
- Progressive form, emphasizes the action as an ongoing process at this moment.
In many contexts, the difference is subtle, and both can be translated as “The protesters are shouting slogans…”. In a neutral descriptive sentence like this, gritam is often preferred because it’s shorter and very idiomatic.