Questions & Answers about Dobrar cada aba na diagonal.
Why is dobrar in the infinitive here instead of an imperative command like dobre?
Using the infinitive for instructions is very common in Portuguese for written manuals, recipes, or general step-by-step directions. This is called the prescriptive or instructional infinitive. It states what action to perform in an impersonal way, rather than commanding a specific person.
How would I change this to say "Fold it on the diagonal" using a pronoun with this instructional infinitive?
You attach the object pronoun to the end of the infinitive. Because dobrar ends in -r, you drop the -r, add an acute accent to keep the stress on the final syllable, and use the -l form of the pronoun. For the feminine word aba, "fold it" becomes dobrá-la na diagonal.
Why do we use the preposition na (em + a) for "on the diagonal" instead of sobre?
In Portuguese, spatial alignments, orientations, and shapes generally take the preposition em. While English says "on the diagonal," Portuguese literally says "in the diagonal" (na diagonal) to describe the orientation of the fold.
Is the word aba only used for folding paper, like a flap in origami?