Breakdown of Devem-se evitar estas infrações rigorosamente.
este
this (este, esta, estes, estas)
dever
should / ought to
se
one (impersonal)
evitar
to avoid
a infração
the infraction
rigorosamente
strictly
Questions & Answers about Devem-se evitar estas infrações rigorosamente.
Why is the verb devem plural here, instead of the singular deve?
In this passive se construction, the grammatical subject of the sentence is actually the plural noun phrase estas infrações (these infractions). Because the patient subject is plural, the conjugated modal verb devem must agree with it in number. You can think of the literal structure as 'These infractions owe themselves to be avoided.'
Why is the -se attached to devem rather than the main verb evitar?
In a verbal periphrasis combining a conjugated modal verb like devem and an infinitive like evitar, the clitic pronoun can safely attach to either verb. Attaching it to the conjugated verb (devem-se evitar) is very common in European Portuguese, but attaching it to the infinitive (devem evitar-se) is also completely correct.
If I want to emphasize the adverb rigorosamente by putting it at the start of the sentence, does anything else change?
How does this passive se structure compare to using the verb ser (to be) for the standard passive voice?
You could express the exact same meaning with the standard passive voice by saying Estas infrações devem ser evitadas. However, the passive se used in this sentence is highly preferred in Portuguese when the 'doer' of the action is unknown, generic, or irrelevant, as it sounds much more natural and idiomatic in everyday speech.
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