Breakdown of Eles atualizaram a proteção para me proteger os dados.
eles
they (m)
para
to / for
me
me
proteger
to protect
atualizar
to update
os dados
the data
a proteção
the protection
Questions & Answers about Eles atualizaram a proteção para me proteger os dados.
Why does me come before the infinitive proteger here?
Because of the preposition para. Usually, a verb in the infinitive takes the pronoun at the end (like proteger-me). However, certain prepositions—specifically para, por, sem, and até—act as "magnets" and pull the pronoun before the infinitive.
The translation says "protect the data for me", but couldn't this also mean "protect my data"?
Yes, and "protect my data" is actually the more natural way to think about it! Portuguese frequently uses an indirect object pronoun (like me) combined with the definite article (os) to indicate possession. This structure is very common for things intrinsically linked to you, like body parts, clothing, or even personal files, instead of using the direct possessive os meus dados.
Why is the preposition para used here instead of por?
When followed by an infinitive, para expresses purpose or intention (meaning "in order to protect"). If you used por here (por me proteger), it would change the meaning to express cause or reason, translating to "because of protecting my data".
Since the subject "they" is doing both actions, could the sentence use the personal infinitive protegerem?
Yes. When the subject of the main verb and the infinitive are the same, it is standard practice to use the uninflected infinitive, which is what we see here with proteger. However, using the personal infinitive (protegerem) is also grammatically correct. Native speakers sometimes use it to add clarity or emphasis, though it is completely optional in this sentence.
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