Breakdown of Onde é que a duquesa o fez sentar-se?
onde
where
fazer
to do
o
him/it (m)
sentar-se
to sit down
é que
is that
a duquesa
the duchess
Questions & Answers about Onde é que a duquesa o fez sentar-se?
Why do we use the accusative pronoun o instead of the dative lhe here?
In causative structures with fazer, the case of the causee (the person being made to do something) depends on the second verb. Because sentar-se does not take a direct object, the causee takes the accusative form (o). If the second verb had a direct object (for example, making him read a book), the causee would switch to the dative form (lhe).
Why are there two different pronouns (o and se) in this sentence?
The o is the causee (the him being made to do the action), which acts as the object of fez. The se is an inherent part of the pronominal verb sentar-se (to sit down). In causative constructions, pronominal verbs keep their reflexive pronouns, so you need both.
Why is the first pronoun placed before the verb (o fez) but the second is attached to the end (sentar-se)?
Could we drop the se and just say Onde é que a duquesa o fez sentar?
It is much better to keep it. While sentar is sometimes used intransitively in Brazilian Portuguese or very casual European Portuguese, sentar-se is the standard European Portuguese way to express the physical act of sitting down. The causative structure doesn't cancel out the need for the verb's reflexive pronoun.
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