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Portuguese (Portugal)

### Dropping "It" (The Null Object)

In English, when we talk about a thing we have already mentioned, we use "it" or "them" (for example, "I read the manual and put **it** in the drawer"). In European Portuguese, speakers frequently drop the direct object pronoun entirely when referring to inanimate objects that are already understood from context.

This natural conversational shortcut is known as the Inanimate Null Object. Instead of worrying about placing object pronouns like *o* or *a*, you can simply leave the object out.

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### Masculine and Feminine Objects

This shortcut applies to any inanimate object, regardless of whether the noun is masculine (like *o esquema*) or feminine (like *a chave de fendas*). As long as the listener knows what is being discussed, the verb can stand alone without a pronoun.

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### Using Null Objects with Infinitives

You will hear this structure used constantly with infinitive verbs. This is especially handy when assembling furniture! Verbs like *aparafusar* (to screw in), *desapertar* (to loosen), or *fixar* (to secure) can just end the phrase without needing an attached pronoun.

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Even when the sentence has multiple clauses or a change of subject, if the inanimate object is clear, you can confidently drop "it" in everyday conversation.

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Dropping inanimate objects

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

prep

preposition

pron

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Subject pronouns and negation (eu, não)

Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)

Plural pronouns, articles, and verbs (somos, são, os, as)

Origin and possession (de, do, da)

Introductions (chamar-se)

Indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas)

The verb to be for locations (estar)

Contrasting the two verbs to be (ser vs. estar)

Preposition for locations (em, no, na)

Numbers 0 to 10 (zero, um, dois)

The verb to have (tenho, tem)

Regular -ar verbs (falar, trabalhar)

Regular -er verbs (comer, beber)

Regular -ir verbs (abrir, partir)

My, your, and our (o meu, a nossa)

His, hers, and theirs (dele, dela)

Adjective agreement and placement

Days of the week (segunda-feira)

Months of the year (janeiro)

Counting by tens to 100 (trinta, quarenta...)

Telling time (é uma, são...)

Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

The verb to go (ir)

Prepositions of direction (a, para)

Preposition a contractions (ao, à, aos, às)

Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)

Demonstratives (este, esse, aquele)

Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)

Asking which and how many (qual, quanto)

Plurals ending in -ão (-ões, -ãos, -ães)

Plurals ending in consonants (-ns, -is, -es)

The verb to like (gostar de)

The verb to need (precisar de)

The verb to want (querer)

The verb can or may (poder)

Expressing obligation (ter de)

Adverbs of degree (muito, pouco)

Quantifiers (muito, pouco)

Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)

Equality comparisons (tão... como)

The preposition com (comigo, contigo)

Coordinating conjunctions (e, mas, ou, porque)

The preposition por (pelo, pela)

Double negation (nunca, nada, ninguém)

Present continuous (estar a)

Near future (ir)

Past tense of regular -ar verbs

Past tense of regular -er and -ir verbs

Past tense of ser and ir (fui, foi)

Direct object pronouns (me, te, o, a, nos, os, as)

Pronoun placement with negatives and questions

Greetings and courtesy (bom dia, obrigado)

Physical states with ter (ter fome, ter frio)

Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)

Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)

Money and shopping (custar, a moeda)

Getting around (o motorista, a paragem de autocarro)

Weather and seasons (faz calor, o inverno)

Omitting the subject pronoun

Where things are: ficar (Onde fica...?)

Richer questions: que + noun and é que

Numbers above 100 (cento e vinte, mil)

First-person sound changes (durmo, prefiro)

Advice and ability: dever and saber

Asking why: porquê and porque

When one thing happens: quando-clauses

Here and there: aqui, aí, ali (cá e lá)

Formal and plural possessives: o seu, o vosso

Irregular presents: ver, vir, dar

Present irregulars

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Stem-changing reflexives

Attached object pronouns (-lo, -la, -los, -las)

Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)

Pronoun placement with adverbs

Past tense of fazer, dizer, and trazer

Past tense of ter, estar, poder, and saber

Past tense of querer and vir

Past tense of ver, dar, and ler

Past tense reflexive verbs (-se)

Time elapsed in the past (há)

Question	Answer
the manual	o manual
I read the manual and put it in the drawer.	Li o manual e guardei na gaveta.
My father looked for the manual, but he didn't find it.	O meu pai procurou o manual, mas não encontrou.
the diagram	o esquema
The girl looked at the diagram and said that she understood it.	A rapariga olhou para o esquema e disse que percebeu.
If you don't understand the diagram, I can explain it.	Se não compreenderes o esquema, posso explicar.
to screw in	aparafusar
You must place the screw here and then you can screw it in.	Deves colocar o parafuso aqui e depois podes aparafusar.
He said that he already tried to screw it in, but he couldn't.	Ele disse que já tentou aparafusar, mas não conseguiu.
the screwdriver	a chave de fendas
You need the screwdriver, but you don't want to use it.	Precisas da chave de fendas, mas não queres usar.
The screwdriver was on the floor and I picked it up.	A chave de fendas estava no chão e eu apanhei.
to loosen	desapertar
The screw is very tight, so I cannot loosen it.	O parafuso está muito apertado, por isso não posso desapertar.
The wheel was stuck and I couldn't loosen it.	A roda estava presa e não consegui desapertar.
to secure	fixar
I bought the bookcase, but I couldn't secure it yet.	Comprei a estante, mas ainda não consegui fixar.
Since the shelf was loose, my father sat down and decided to secure it.	Como a prateleira estava solta, o meu pai sentou-se e decidiu fixar.
the nut	a porca
I left the nut here, but someone took it.	Deixei a porca aqui, mas alguém levou.
I didn't see the nut. I think that the dog ate it.	Não vi a porca. Acho que o cão comeu.
the dowel	a cavilha
The dowel was damaged, so I didn't use it.	A cavilha estava estragada, por isso não usei.
We need another dowel, because I can't find it.	Precisamos de outra cavilha, porque não encontro.
the wall plug	a bucha
I bought the wall plug yesterday and I already used it.	Comprei a bucha ontem e já usei.
The wall plug fell on the floor and I didn't see it.	A bucha caiu no chão e não vi.
to align	alinhar
I tried to align the shelf, but I couldn't.	Tentei alinhar a prateleira, mas não consegui.
The door doesn't close because you didn't want to align it.	A porta não fecha porque não quiseste alinhar.