In English, when an action happens "without someone doing something," you use "without" plus the "-ing" form of the verb (e.g., "without them helping"). In Portuguese, you use the preposition sem followed by the personal infinitive.
The personal infinitive is unique to Portuguese: an infinitive that takes endings to match the subject. You simply add endings directly to the dictionary form of the verb. For plural subjects, use:
- nós: add -mos (e.g., nós falarmos)
- eles/elas/vocês: add -em (e.g., eles falarem)
| The father does not give the allowance without them fulfilling all the obligations. | O pai não dá a mesada sem eles cumprirem todas as obrigações. |
Specifying the Subject
To clarify exactly who isn't doing the action, place the subject (a pronoun like vocês or a noun like os pais) right after sem and right before the personal infinitive.
| It was impossible to keep the house clean without you guys contributing. | Foi impossível manter a casa limpa sem vocês contribuírem. |
| I cannot impose the rules without the parents agreeing. | Eu não posso impor as regras sem os pais concordarem. |
When setting boundaries, you might encounter verbs like impor (to impose) or refilar (to complain or talk back):
| If you do everything without your brothers complaining, we are going to be reasonable. | Se fizerem tudo sem os vossos irmãos refilarem, nós vamos ser razoáveis. |
Notice how the verb adapts to the subject. To say "without us imposing," use nós and add the -mos ending:
| If they mature, they are going to have more privileges without us imposing rules. | Se eles amadurecerem, vão ter mais privilégios sem nós impormos regras. |
Dropping the Pronoun
If the subject is obvious from context or matches the main clause, you can omit the noun or pronoun. The verb still requires the personal infinitive ending to show who you mean.
| Is it reasonable for them to demand everything without losing the privilege? | É razoável eles exigirem tudo sem perderem o privilégio? |