Breakdown of Quem me roubou o corta-relva foi aquele homem.
ser
to be
quem
who
o homem
the man
aquele
that over there (aquele, aquela, aqueles, aquelas)
me
me
o
him/it (m)
roubar
to steal
o corta-relva
the lawnmower
Questions & Answers about Quem me roubou o corta-relva foi aquele homem.
Why is it Quem me roubou o corta-relva instead of Quem roubou o meu corta-relva?
This sentence uses the dative of possession. Instead of using the possessive meu, Portuguese often uses an indirect object pronoun (me) alongside the definite article (o) to show who is affected by the action. It literally translates to 'stole the lawnmower from me' and is the most natural, idiomatic way to express 'stole my lawnmower.'
Since the sentence is an affirmative statement, shouldn't the pronoun come after the verb, as in roubou-me?
Generally, yes, European Portuguese places the pronoun after the verb in affirmative sentences. However, Quem acts as a 'magnet' (or trigger word). Relative pronouns and interrogative words force the pronoun to move immediately before the verb, resulting in Quem me roubou.
Does Quem literally translate to 'The one who' here?
The word for grass (relva) is feminine. Why is the article before the lawnmower masculine (o corta-relva)?
Compound words formed by combining a verb with a noun, like corta-relva (from cortar, to cut, plus relva, grass), are almost always masculine in Portuguese. This rule applies regardless of the original gender of the noun used inside the compound.
Learn Quem me roubou o corta-relva foi aquele homem 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