Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Eles provavelmente falaram sobre a gravidez chocante no oitavo episódio. - They probably talked about the shocking pregnancy in the eighth episode.

Eles provavelmente falaram sobre a gravidez chocante no oitavo episódio.

They probably talked about the shocking pregnancy in the eighth episode.

Breakdown of Eles provavelmente falaram sobre a gravidez chocante no oitavo episódio.

Questions & Answers about Eles provavelmente falaram sobre a gravidez chocante no oitavo episódio.

Why does provavelmente take the indicative verb falaram here, rather than the subjunctive?

In Portuguese, adverbs of probability like provavelmente (probably) and possivelmente (possibly) express a strong assumption or high likelihood rather than pure doubt, so they trigger the indicative mood. This is different from adverbs that express uncertainty, like talvez (maybe), which require the subjunctive.

Is it mandatory to put provavelmente between the subject and the verb?

No, adverb placement is quite flexible here. While Eles provavelmente falaram is very natural, you could also place it at the beginning of the sentence (Provavelmente eles falaram...) or after the verb (Eles falaram, provavelmente,...) without changing the meaning.

Is gravidez feminine because of a specific rule, even though it doesn't end in -a?

Yes, gravidez is feminine (a gravidez). A great rule of thumb to remember is that most nouns ending in -ez, especially those describing states or qualities (like timidez, estupidez, and fluidez), are feminine.

Why doesn't the adjective chocante have a feminine ending to match a gravidez?