Breakdown of Devem-se seguir as regras rigorosamente.
dever
should / ought to
seguir
to follow / to carry on
a regra
the rule
se
one (impersonal)
rigorosamente
strictly
Questions & Answers about Devem-se seguir as regras rigorosamente.
Why is the modal verb in the plural form (Devem-se) rather than the singular (Deve-se)?
Can I attach the pronoun to the second verb instead, like Devem seguir-se as regras?
Yes, absolutely. When you have a modal verb followed by an infinitive, you generally have the choice to attach the pronoun to the first verb (Devem-se seguir) or to the infinitive (Devem seguir-se). Both are grammatically correct and widely used in European Portuguese.
Why can't I just use the impersonal 'se' and say Deve-se seguir as regras?
When a verb is transitive and has a direct recipient of the action (in this case, the rules being followed), Portuguese grammar strongly prefers the passive 'se' over the impersonal 'se'. Because it is passive, the verb must agree in number with the patient subject (as regras), making the singular Deve-se incorrect here.
Why is the adverb rigorosamente placed at the very end of the sentence?
Adverbs of manner ending in -mente usually go after the verb phrase they modify, and typically after the subject or object if one follows the verb. Placing it at the end feels very natural. Unlike English, where you might say 'must be strictly followed', interrupting the two verbs in Portuguese (Devem-se rigorosamente seguir) sounds highly unnatural.
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