Word
Vai para a proa e sobe ao mastro!
Meaning
Go to the bow and climb the mast!
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Vai para a proa e sobe ao mastro!
Why does this sentence use vai and sobe instead of vá and suba?
Vai and sobe are the informal (tu) affirmative commands. In Portuguese, the affirmative tu command is usually identical to the third-person singular of the present tense (he/she goes = ele/ela vai, he/she climbs = ele/ela sobe). If you were giving this order formally to a você, you would use the present subjunctive forms: vá and suba.
Why do we say vai para a proa instead of vai à proa?
The verb ir (to go) can take either the preposition a or para. Using para suggests moving to a destination to stay there for a while, which makes sense here since the person is being ordered to go to the bow to perform a longer task (climbing the mast). Using a typically implies a short, temporary visit with the intention of coming right back.
Why is there an ao before mastro? Couldn't we just say sobe o mastro?
You can actually say both! The verb subir can take a direct object (subir o mastro) or be used with the preposition a (subir ao mastro). Saying subir o mastro emphasizes the physical action of climbing up the length of the pole, while subir ao mastro focuses slightly more on the mast as a destination you are ascending to.