Breakdown of Mesmo ela não sabe fazer aquela acrobacia.
não
not / no
ela
she
aquele
that over there (+ noun)
fazer
to do
saber
to know
mesmo
even (as in "even I")
a acrobacia
the acrobatics
Questions & Answers about Mesmo ela não sabe fazer aquela acrobacia.
Why is mesmo placed at the very beginning of the sentence here?
What would happen if we moved mesmo to the end of the sentence?
The meaning would change! If you said Ela não sabe fazer aquela acrobacia mesmo, it would mean 'She really doesn't know how to do that acrobatic move.' When placed at the end of a sentence or after the verb, mesmo often acts as an intensifier (really/truly) rather than focusing on a specific noun with the meaning 'even'.
Can I use até instead of mesmo in this sentence?
Yes, you can use até or the combined phrase até mesmo. In Portuguese, até and mesmo are frequently interchangeable when used as focus adverbs to highlight a surprising or extreme case.
Just as a refresher, why do we use sabe instead of conhece here?
To express 'knowing how' to perform a skill or action, you must use saber followed directly by an infinitive (like fazer). Conhecer is used for being acquainted or familiar with people, places, or things, but never for having the ability to perform a verb.
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