Breakdown of Ele está doente, mas ainda não o disse ao chefe.
doente
sick
o chefe
the boss (m)
dizer
to say
ainda
still / yet / even (with comparatives)
Questions & Answers about Ele está doente, mas ainda não o disse ao chefe.
Why is there an o in ainda não o disse? In English we just say 'he hasn't told the boss'.
In Portuguese, the verb dizer (to tell or say) strongly prefers having a direct object. The o acts as 'it' and refers back to the fact that he is sick. Without it, the sentence feels incomplete to a Portuguese speaker.
Why is the pronoun o placed before the verb disse instead of after it?
In European Portuguese, pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb. However, negative words like não act as magnets, pulling the pronoun to the position right before the verb.
Is it possible to use é instead of está here?
It depends on the meaning you want to convey. Using está doente means he is currently sick, which fits the context of needing to tell a boss. If you said é doente, it would mean he is a chronically ill person.
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