Question 1

Why is there no word for "it" after desapertar?

Accepted Answer

This is a perfect example of the inanimate null object. In European Portuguese, when a direct object refers to an inanimate thing that was just mentioned (like o parafuso), you can often completely drop the pronoun. Instead of using a pronoun to say não o posso desapertar or não posso desapertá-lo, you just leave it blank.

Question 2

Is it grammatically incorrect to include the pronoun and say não posso desapertá-lo?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! Using the pronoun -lo is perfectly correct and is often preferred in formal writing. However, dropping it to create a null object is extremely common and natural in everyday spoken Portuguese when the inanimate object is already obvious from the context.

Question 3

How do the words apertado and desapertar relate to each other?

Accepted Answer

They both come from the root verb apertar (to tighten or squeeze). Apertado is the past participle used here as an adjective meaning tight. By adding the prefix des- (which indicates reversal or undoing, much like the English prefix un-), we get desapertar (to loosen).

Question 4

Why do we use está instead of é for the screw being tight?

Accepted Answer

We use está because being tight is the current physical state or condition of the screw, not a permanent or inherent characteristic. It is a temporary state that can be changed, which is exactly what the speaker is trying to do by loosening it.

O parafuso está muito apertado, por isso não posso desapertar.

Breakdown of O parafuso está muito apertado, por isso não posso desapertar.

Questions & Answers about O parafuso está muito apertado, por isso não posso desapertar.

Learn O parafuso está muito apertado, por isso não posso desapertar and more in Portuguese