Question 1

Why do we use consigo here instead of com ele?

Accepted Answer

Because the monk is bringing the book with himself. Consigo is the 3rd-person reflexive form of 'with'. When the prepositional pronoun refers back to the subject of the sentence (o monge), you must use the reflexive consigo. If you used com ele, it would mean the monk is bringing the book with a different person.

Question 2

I often see consigo used to mean 'with you' (formal). How do we know it means 'with him' here?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, consigo is frequently used as the formal 'with you' (matching você). However, when the subject of the sentence is a 3rd-person noun like o monge, consigo naturally acts as a true reflexive referring back to that subject. Context tells us the monk is bringing the book with himself, not with you.

Question 3

Would it be correct to say consigo próprio in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can absolutely say consigo próprio or consigo mesmo. While consigo alone is already reflexive here, adding próprio emphasizes that he has it with himself. As a bonus, this extra emphasis completely removes any potential ambiguity with the formal 'with you' meaning of consigo.

Question 4

What is the difference between using traz and leva in a context like this?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the direction of movement relative to the speaker. Traz (from trazer) means 'brings' and implies the monk is moving towards the speaker or the narrative's main point of reference. If the monk were taking the book away to a different location, you would use leva (from levar).

O monge traz o livro sagrado consigo.

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