Breakdown of Ele vendia droga e a polícia sabia.
saber
to know
vender
to sell
a polícia
the police
a droga
the drug (narcotic)
Questions & Answers about Ele vendia droga e a polícia sabia.
Why are vendia and sabia in the imperfect tense instead of the simple past?
Both verbs describe ongoing or continuous situations in the past. He didn't just sell drugs once; it was a regular habit (vendia). Likewise, the police knowing was a continuous state (sabia) rather than a single completed event.
The English translation says 'drugs' (plural), but the Portuguese uses the singular droga. Is that a mistake?
Not at all! In Portuguese, it is standard to use the singular droga to refer to illicit drugs or the drug trade in general, treating it almost like an uncountable noun. You can say drogas, but the singular is very common and natural in this context.
In English, 'police' often takes a plural verb. Is a polícia singular or plural in Portuguese?
Why use sabia instead of conhecia for 'knew'?
Saber is used for knowing facts, information, or knowing about a situation. You use conhecer when you are familiar with a person, a place, or a specific thing. Since the police knew the facts of what he was doing, sabia is the correct verb here.