Breakdown of O oficial deu ordem para avançar.
dar
to give
a ordem
the order
avançar
to advance
o oficial
the officer
Questions & Answers about O oficial deu ordem para avançar.
Why is there no article before ordem? Shouldn't it be deu a ordem?
In Portuguese, the phrase dar ordem acts like a fixed expression meaning to give orders or to command. While you can say deu a ordem if you are referring to a specific, previously discussed command, dropping the article is very common when focusing on the act of commanding itself rather than a specific object.
Why do we use para before the infinitive here instead of de?
Both are possible, but they have slightly different focuses. Using ordem para emphasizes the purpose or the specific action that needs to happen next (to advance). On the other hand, ordem de is frequently used with nouns to name the category of the order, such as an arrest warrant (ordem de prisão).
Is oficial a false friend? Does it mean officer or official?
It translates to both depending on the context! As a noun, oficial refers to a person in authority, such as a military or police officer. As an adjective, it means official, like a formal document. Because it is preceded by the article o and is the subject doing the commanding, we know it means officer here.
Why is avançar in the basic infinitive form instead of the personal infinitive?
Because the exact people who are supposed to advance are not explicitly named in the sentence, the regular, uninflected infinitive is perfectly fine. If the officer were giving the order to a specific group mentioned in the sentence, you might see the personal infinitive used to match them, such as deu-lhes ordem para avançarem.
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