Breakdown of Dizem que o tirano pediu que a opressão continuasse.
dizer
to say
que
that (conjunction)
continuar
to continue
pedir
to ask for
o tirano
the tyrant
a opressão
the oppression
Questions & Answers about Dizem que o tirano pediu que a opressão continuasse.
Why is continuasse in the Imperfect Subjunctive here?
This is a classic example of backshifting. The verb pedir (to ask/request) triggers the subjunctive for the action being requested. If the request were happening right now, we would use the Present Subjunctive: pede que a opressão continue. However, because the main verb is in the past (pediu), the dependent clause must "shift back" to match it, requiring the Imperfect Subjunctive (continuasse).
The English translation says "continue", but continuasse is a past tense verb. Why is there a mismatch?
English actually uses a rare present subjunctive here ("continue" instead of "continues" or "continued") after verbs of demanding or requesting, even if the request happened in the past. Portuguese is much stricter about the sequence of tenses: if the main clause is in the past (pediu), the dependent subjunctive must also be in the past (continuasse).
Can we drop either of the ques in this sentence, like we often drop "that" in English?
No, you must keep both. In English, we can easily say "They say the tyrant asked the oppression continue." In Portuguese, the conjunction que is almost always mandatory to introduce dependent clauses. Skipping it sounds very unnatural.
Why does the sentence start with just Dizem instead of Eles dizem?
Using the third-person plural verb on its own (dizem) is the standard way to express an impersonal "they say" or "people say" in Portuguese. If you were to add the pronoun (Eles dizem), it would sound like you are referring to a specific, previously mentioned group of people, rather than expressing a general rumor.
Learn Dizem que o tirano pediu que a opressão continuasse and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free