Question 1

Could I use mesmos instead of próprios here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. When used to emphasize identity or agency (stressing that we ourselves do the action), próprios and mesmos are interchangeable. Saying nós mesmos would mean the exact same thing in this sentence.

Question 2

Would it ever be nós próprias?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Emphatic pronouns like próprio and mesmo must agree in gender and number with the person or thing they refer to. Since nós is plural, the emphatic pronoun takes the plural -s. If the group saying this sentence was entirely female, they would use nós próprias instead.

Question 3

What is the singular form of lesões, and why does it change like that?

Accepted Answer

The singular form is lesão (injury). In Portuguese, words ending in -ão usually form their plural by dropping the -ão and adding -ões. This is the most common plural pattern for these words, though a few irregular ones end in -ãos or -ães.

Question 4

Why doesn't aquecemos need a word for 'up' like in English?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the single verb aquecer covers the entire meaning of 'to warm up' for sports and exercise, as well as 'to heat' for objects or food. Phrasal verbs (verbs paired with prepositions like 'up' or 'out') are very common in English but rarely exist in Portuguese, so a single verb usually does the whole job.

Nós próprios evitamos lesões quando aquecemos.

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