Breakdown of Senhora, quer que eu lhe marque um corte com a cabeleireira para a próxima semana?
Questions & Answers about Senhora, quer que eu lhe marque um corte com a cabeleireira para a próxima semana?
What does Senhora mean here?
Why is it quer and not queres?
Because the speaker is addressing the woman formally. In European Portuguese, formal address often uses 3rd person singular verb forms, even when talking directly to someone.
So:
That is why the sentence has quer.
Why isn’t the subject pronoun written, like a senhora quer?
Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb form already makes the meaning clear. Here, Senhora already shows who is being addressed, so quer is enough.
You could think of the full idea as:
Senhora, [a senhora] quer que eu lhe marque...
but repeating a senhora would sound unnecessary.
Why does the sentence use quer que eu marque instead of just an infinitive?
Because the two actions have different subjects:
- the woman wants
- I book the appointment
When Portuguese has querer plus another action done by a different person, it normally uses:
querer + que + subjunctive
So:
- Quer que eu marque...? = Do you want me to book...?
If the same person does both actions, Portuguese often uses the infinitive instead:
- Quer marcar um corte? = Do you want to book a haircut?
Why is it marque and not marco?
Because after quer que, Portuguese uses the present subjunctive.
- eu marco = indicative, plain statement: I book / I am booking
- que eu marque = subjunctive, used after expressions of wanting, doubt, emotion, etc.
So quer que eu marque literally means something like do you want that I book.
What does lhe mean in this sentence?
Why does lhe come before the verb: que eu lhe marque?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns often come before the verb in certain environments, especially in subordinate clauses introduced by words like que.
So:
- quer que eu lhe marque... is the normal pattern
This is a very common word order in European Portuguese.
What does marcar mean here? It can’t mean to mark, right?
Right. In this sentence, marcar means to book, to schedule, or to arrange an appointment.
This is very common in Portuguese:
- marcar uma consulta = book an appointment
- marcar uma reunião = schedule a meeting
- marcar um corte = book a haircut
What does um corte mean exactly?
Here um corte means a haircut. It is a shortened form of um corte de cabelo.
In a hair-related context, Portuguese often drops de cabelo because it is already understood.
So:
- um corte
- um corte de cabelo
can mean the same thing here.
Why does it say com a cabeleireira?
Why is it cabeleireira and not cabeleireiro?
Could the sentence use no cabeleireiro instead of com a cabeleireira?
What does para a próxima semana mean exactly?
It means for next week or sometime next week.
It does not give a specific day. It just places the appointment in the following week. The exact interpretation can depend a little on context, but usually it means the upcoming next week.
Why is there an article in a próxima semana?
Portuguese often uses the definite article with time expressions where English does not.
So Portuguese says:
- a próxima semana
- o próximo mês
- o próximo ano
Even though English usually just says:
- next week
- next month
- next year
Can eu be omitted in que eu lhe marque?
Is this sentence very formal?
How would this sound in an informal tu version?
Could você be used here?
Grammatically, yes, but in Portugal, directly saying você can sound awkward, overly blunt, or even rude in some situations. Polite European Portuguese often prefers:
That is why Senhora, quer... sounds very natural in Portugal.
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