Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ela chama-se Maria Silva.

Ela chama-se Maria Silva.

She is called Maria Silva.

Breakdown of Ela chama-se Maria Silva.

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Questions & Answers about Ela chama-se Maria Silva.

Why is there a hyphen and the word -se after the verb?

The verb here is chamar-se (to call oneself). The -se is a reflexive pronoun meaning "herself". In European Portuguese, these pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen by default. So, chama-se literally translates to "calls herself".

Does chama change depending on who we are talking about?

Yes! chama is the present tense form for ela (she), ele (he), and você (formal you). If you were talking about yourself, you would use chamo and the pronoun -me: Eu chamo-me... (I call myself...).

Could I say Ela é Maria instead of using chamar-se?

Yes, you can use the verb ser (to be) and say Ela é a Maria (She is Maria). However, using chamar-se is the standard, most natural way to state someone's name in Portuguese, much like saying "Her name is..." in English.

What happens to the -se if I want to make the sentence negative?

If you add a negative word like não (not), it acts like a magnet and pulls the pronoun to the front of the verb, removing the hyphen. To say "She is not called Maria", it becomes Ela não se chama Maria.