Breakdown of Quem a fez sussurrar a deixa foi o ator.
ser
to be
quem
who
o ator
the actor
fazer
to do
sussurrar
to whisper
a deixa
the cue
Questions & Answers about Quem a fez sussurrar a deixa foi o ator.
Why is the pronoun a placed before fez rather than attached to the infinitive?
With causative verbs like fazer, the pronoun typically "climbs" to the conjugated causative verb rather than staying with the infinitive. Additionally, the word Quem is a strong "magnet" (trigger for proclisis), pulling the pronoun a before the conjugated verb to give us Quem a fez instead of Quem fê-la.
Since sussurrar has its own direct object (a deixa), shouldn't the person being forced to whisper be an indirect object (lhe)?
Excellent observation! Traditional grammar rules often dictate using the indirect object (lhe) for the causee when the infinitive already has a direct object. However, using the direct object (a) is very common in modern spoken Portuguese even in this scenario, so both Quem a fez sussurrar and Quem lhe fez sussurrar are widely used and accepted.
What does deixa mean here? I only know it as a form of the verb deixar.
While deixa is a conjugation of the verb deixar (to leave/let), here it acts as a feminine noun: a deixa. In a theatrical or conversational context, it translates to "the cue" or "the prompt" that signals someone to speak.
Is starting with Quem common for this kind of sentence?
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