Breakdown of A pista pede para tu encontrares a coordenada exata.
tu
you
para
to / for
encontrar
to find
pedir
to ask for
a pista
the clue / the track / the runway
exato
exact
a coordenada
the coordinate
Questions & Answers about A pista pede para tu encontrares a coordenada exata.
Why is encontrares in the personal infinitive instead of the subjunctive here?
In Portuguese, reported directives (telling or asking someone to do something) are frequently formed using para + the personal infinitive. Because the subject of the main verb (a pista) is different from the person who needs to do the action (tu), the infinitive is conjugated to match tu, becoming encontrares.
Is it mandatory to include the pronoun tu before encontrares?
No, you can safely drop it and say pede para encontrares. The -es ending of the personal infinitive already makes it obvious that the subject is tu. Including the pronoun just adds a little emphasis.
In English, a clue usually "tells" you what to do. Is it normal to use pedir (to ask) for an inanimate object like a pista?
Yes, it is very common. While we might translate it as "asks", pedir para is widely used in Portuguese for any prompt, requirement, or instruction, even from non-human things like a clue, an app, or a manual. You could also say diz para (tells to), but pede para is perfectly natural here.
How would this sentence look if I wanted to use the subjunctive instead?
You can replace the para + personal infinitive structure with que + present subjunctive. The sentence would become: A pista pede que tu encontres a coordenada exata. Both structures are completely correct and mean the exact same thing, though the para + infinitive version is heavily used in spoken Portuguese to avoid having to conjugate the subjunctive.
Learn A pista pede para tu encontrares a coordenada exata and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free