Breakdown of Ele quer saber quando vamos transferi-lo para o técnico.
ele
he
quando
when
ir
to go
para
to / for
querer
to want
o
him/it (m)
saber
to know
transferir
to transfer
o técnico
the technician
Questions & Answers about Ele quer saber quando vamos transferi-lo para o técnico.
Why isn't the word se used in this indirect question?
Doesn't the question word quando normally pull the pronoun to the front of the verb?
Yes, question words act as magnets that usually pull pronouns to the front. If we put the pronoun with the first verb (vamos), it would have to be quando o vamos transferir. However, when using a compound verb phrase (auxiliary verb + infinitive), it is also perfectly correct to attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive (transferi-lo).
Why does transferir change to transferi-lo instead of just adding -o?
When attaching a pronoun like o (him/it) to an infinitive that ends in -r, the -r is dropped and the pronoun changes to start with an 'l' (becoming -lo). Notice there is no written accent on the i here, because words ending in i naturally have their stress on that final syllable anyway.
Why is vamos in the indicative mood instead of the subjunctive?
Even though the verb querer (to want) normally triggers the subjunctive, the phrase querer saber (to want to know) asks for an objective piece of information. Because it reports an inquiry rather than expressing a desire for someone else to do something, the following verb stays in the normal indicative mood.
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