Breakdown of Talvez eles se deem bem no labirinto.
eles
they (m)
bem
well / fine
no
in the / on the / at the (m, f, pl forms: na, nos, nas)
talvez
perhaps
Questions & Answers about Talvez eles se deem bem no labirinto.
Why does this sentence use a form of dar (to give) to talk about getting along?
This is a lexical-semantic shift, which is exactly what your current lesson covers! When you add the reflexive pronoun se to dar, it becomes dar-se. When paired with bem (well) or mal (badly), the meaning shifts entirely from giving to interacting. Dar-se bem means 'to get along well', while dar-se mal means 'to get along badly' or 'to have a bad outcome'.
Why is the verb conjugated as deem (subjunctive) instead of dão (indicative)?
The sentence starts with talvez (perhaps), which is an adverb expressing doubt or uncertainty. In Portuguese, talvez always triggers the subjunctive mood in the following verb. Since the sentence is about a present or future possibility, it uses the present subjunctive form deem.
Why does the pronoun se come before the verb here (se deem) rather than after it?
In European Portuguese, pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb. However, the word talvez acts as a 'magnet' or 'attractor.' It pulls the pronoun se to the front of the verb, a rule known as proclisis.
I have sometimes seen this verb spelled as dêem with a circumflex accent. Is deem a typo?