Sabes a combinação do cofre novo?

Questions & Answers about Sabes a combinação do cofre novo?

Why use Sabes instead of Conheces to say you know the combination?
In Portuguese, saber is used for facts, learned information, or knowing how to do something. Because a safe combination is a specific piece of memorized data, sabes is the correct verb. Conhecer is used for being familiar with people, places, or broader concepts.
How would I rewrite this sentence to say "Do you know it?" using a clitic pronoun?
To replace a combinação (feminine singular) with a pronoun, you use a. Because this is a simple question without any "magnet" words like não or quem to pull the pronoun to the front, it attaches to the end of the verb with a hyphen: Sabes-a?
Why does novo come after cofre here?
Unlike in English, descriptive adjectives in Portuguese usually follow the noun they modify. So "the new safe" becomes o cofre novo (literally "the safe new").
Why is it do cofre novo instead of just de cofre novo?
In Portuguese, the preposition de (of) must contract with the definite article o (the) that belongs to cofre (safe). De + o combines to make do, meaning "of the".

Learn Sabes a combinação do cofre novo and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free