Breakdown of Dizem que ela lhe partiu a vassoura nova ontem.
ela
she
novo
new / young
a
to / at (direction)
dizer
to say
ontem
yesterday
lhe
to him / to her / to you (formal)
que
that (conjunction)
partir
to break
a vassoura
the broom
Questions & Answers about Dizem que ela lhe partiu a vassoura nova ontem.
Why does the sentence use lhe partiu a vassoura instead of partiu a sua vassoura to say "broke his broom"?
Using an indirect object pronoun (like lhe) alongside a definite article (like a) is a common Portuguese structure called the dative of possession. While partiu a sua vassoura is perfectly correct, replacing the possessive word with an indirect object pronoun sounds much more natural when an action directly damages, helps, or impacts someone's personal belongings. It structurally translates to "broke the broom to him."
How do we know lhe refers to "his" broom and not someone else's?
Without extra context, we actually don't! The pronoun lhe acts as the indirect object for he, she, or formal you (você). Therefore, she could have broken his broom, another woman's broom, or your broom. The English translation just assumes "his" based on one possible context.
Why does the pronoun lhe come before the verb partiu instead of attaching to the end of it?
The conjunction que acts as a "magnet" word. In Portuguese, subordinate clauses introduced by que force the object pronoun to jump in front of the verb (proclisis). If the sentence were simply the standalone statement "She broke his broom," there would be no magnet word, so it would follow the default European Portuguese rule: Ela partiu-lhe a vassoura.
Who exactly is the "They" in Dizem que...?
It refers to a generic, unnamed group of people. Using a verb in the third-person plural without an explicit subject pronoun like Eles is the standard Portuguese way to express impersonal statements such as "People say," "Rumour has it," or "It is said."
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