Breakdown of O velho mergulhador nunca se esqueceu da máscara durante o mergulho.
nunca
never
esquecer-se de
to forget
durante
during
velho
longtime, of long standing
o mergulhador
the diver
a máscara
the mask
o mergulho
the dive
Questions & Answers about O velho mergulhador nunca se esqueceu da máscara durante o mergulho.
Why is it se esqueceu da instead of just esqueceu a?
The verb esquecer-se is a pronominal verb that requires the preposition de to introduce the thing forgotten. While you can use the non-pronominal esquecer with a direct object (esqueceu a máscara), the pronominal version esquecer-se de is the standard way to express this in European Portuguese and emphasizes the subject's personal lapse in memory.
Why is the pronoun se placed before the verb (se esqueceu) instead of after it (esqueceu-se)?
Why does the adjective velho come before mergulhador, and does this change the meaning?
Why is it da máscara instead of de máscara?
Because we are talking about a specific mask (the mask), we need the feminine definite article a. The pronominal verb esquecer-se demands the preposition de, which must contract with the article: de + a = da.
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