Question 1

Where is the word for "it" in "screw it in"?

Accepted Answer

This is the complemento direto nulo (inanimate null object) in action. In European Portuguese, when you refer to an inanimate object that is already clear from context (like a screw), you usually drop the object pronoun entirely. Instead of saying aparafusá-lo, it is perfectly natural to just leave it as aparafusar.

Question 2

Does the same "null object" rule apply to não conseguiu (he couldn't)?

Accepted Answer

Exactly! In English, we usually add "it" or "do it" (he couldn't do it). In Portuguese, you don't need a pronoun like o or a demonstrative like isso here. The verb conseguir stands alone because the target action (aparafusar) was just established in the sentence.

Question 3

Why use the pretérito perfeito (tentou, conseguiu) instead of the imperfeito (tentava, conseguia) here?

Accepted Answer

The speaker is talking about a specific, completed attempt in the past: he made the attempt, and the attempt failed. If you used the imperfect (tentava, não conseguia), it would sound like an ongoing background state or a habit, meaning "he used to try, and he was never able to."

Question 4

Is aparafusar related to the Portuguese word for a screw?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it comes directly from the noun parafuso (screw). Portuguese frequently creates action verbs from nouns by adding the prefix a- and the suffix -ar to the root word.

Ele disse que já tentou aparafusar, mas não conseguiu.

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