Expressing Judgments: Object Complements
When you want to evaluate a person's character, assess a situation, or express a formal judgment, Portuguese uses a structure known as the object complement (predicativo do complemento direto). This is extremely common with verbs of opinion, such as considerar (to consider) and achar (to find/think).
The syntax follows a straightforward pattern: Verb + Direct Object + Adjective. The adjective (the complement) describes the direct object, rather than the subject performing the action.
Just like any other adjective, the object complement must agree with the noun it modifies in gender and number. However, many adjectives used for character assessment—like irresponsável (irresponsible), incompetente (incompetent), and admirável (admirable)—end in -e or -l. These adjectives are invariable, meaning they use the exact same form for both masculine and feminine nouns.
For adjectives that end in -o, such as desonesto (dishonest) or corrupto (corrupt), remember to match the gender of the object you are describing:
Using Pronouns
If you already know who or what you are talking about, you can replace the direct object with a pronoun (such as -o or -a). The adjective complement simply attaches right after the pronoun.
Formal and Legal Contexts
This same grammatical structure is frequently used in legal settings, formal declarations, and professional environments. In these contexts, you will often see it paired with verbs like julgar (to judge) and declarar (to declare).
Assessing Character and Habits
You will frequently use this syntax to discuss a person's personality or caráter (character).
Finally, you can combine this structure with expressions like dar por si a (to catch oneself doing something) to describe a judgment that forms naturally or surprisingly in your mind.