Breakdown of O ciberataque acabou por lhe comprometer a proteção.
lhe
to him / to her / to you (formal)
acabar por
to end up (doing)
a proteção
the protection
o ciberataque
the cyberattack
comprometer
to compromise
Questions & Answers about O ciberataque acabou por lhe comprometer a proteção.
Why does the pronoun lhe come before the infinitive comprometer?
The preposition por acts as a magnet that pulls the pronoun to the front of the verb. This forward placement is called proclisis. In European Portuguese, prepositions like por, para, sem, and até trigger this shift when they are followed by an infinitive verb. Because of this rule, writing por comprometer-lhe would sound unnatural here.
The English translation says his protection, but there is no possessive pronoun like sua in the Portuguese sentence. Why?
This is a classic example of the dative of possession. Rather than using a possessive pronoun, Portuguese often pairs an indirect object pronoun (in this case, lhe) with a definite article (a) before the noun. Literally, the sentence translates to having compromised the protection to him. This structure is heavily preferred over possessive pronouns when referring to things intimately associated with a person, such as body parts, clothing, or personal security.
What is the exact function of acabou por in this sentence?
The verb acabar followed by the preposition por and an infinitive is a common fixed phrase that means to end up doing something. It is used to express the final result of a situation, so acabou por lhe comprometer translates simply to ended up compromising.
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