Question 1

Why does the sentence use both -lhe and a ela? Isn't that redundant?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is grammatically redundant, but it is extremely common in Portuguese. This is known as clitic doubling. The indirect object pronoun -lhe already means 'to her', but adding a ela explicitly clarifies who is receiving the action and adds strong emphasis. It mimics the vocal stress in the English translation: 'They gave the prize to HER.'

Question 2

Could I just say Deram o prémio a ela without the -lhe?

Accepted Answer

Grammatically you can, but it sounds much less natural in European Portuguese. When you use an explicit indirect object starting with a (like a ela or ao João), native speakers almost always include the corresponding indirect object pronoun (-lhe or -lhes) attached to the verb.

Question 3

Why is it a ti at the end instead of just não te?

Accepted Answer

Because it follows the preposition a. When a pronoun is the object of a preposition (like a, para, de, or com), you must use prepositional pronouns. For informal singular 'you', that pronoun is ti. You cannot use the unstressed object pronoun te directly after a preposition.

Question 4

Since there is no subject, does Deram strictly mean a specific 'They' gave the prize?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. While deram is the third-person plural of dar, Portuguese often uses an unspecified third-person plural to express a general or passive idea. In context, this often translates better as 'Someone gave her the prize' or 'The prize was given to her,' without pointing to a specific group of people.

Deram-lhe o prémio a ela, não a ti.

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