Breakdown of A regra diz para nós vestirmos o colete.
nós
we
para
to / for
dizer
to say
a regra
the rule
vestir
to put on, to wear
o colete
the vest
Questions & Answers about A regra diz para nós vestirmos o colete.
Why do we use para nós vestirmos here instead of the subjunctive (que nós vistamos)?
Both are actually correct for reported directives! You can use dizer que + subjunctive (A regra diz que vistamos...) or dizer para + personal infinitive (A regra diz para vestirmos...). The para + personal infinitive structure is very common in everyday Portuguese because it allows you to express commands without needing to conjugate the trickier subjunctive forms.
Why do we need the personal infinitive vestirmos instead of the regular infinitive vestir?
We use it because the subject changes. The subject of the main verb (diz) is a regra (it), but the subject of the action of wearing is nós (we). When a preposition like para introduces a new action performed by a different subject, the personal infinitive is used to make it clear who is supposed to do that action.
Is it mandatory to include the pronoun nós before vestirmos?
The literal translation is "says for us to wear". Is this the normal way to translate "tells us to wear"?
Yes! While "says for us to" can sound a bit clunky in English compared to "tells us to", it matches the Portuguese structure perfectly. In Portuguese, the verb dizer acts as both "to say" and "to tell". Using dizer para followed by the personal infinitive is the standard, natural way to report that someone was told to do something.
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