Question 1

Why isn't there a word for "to" between "querem" and "começar"?

Accepted Answer

In English, we say "want to start". But in Portuguese, when you use querer (to want) followed by another action, the second verb stays in its basic dictionary form (the infinitive). Because começar already means "to start", you just place it directly after querem (you want). No extra linking word is needed!

Question 2

Does "vocês" mean "they" since it ends in "-em" just like "eles querem"?

Accepted Answer

No, vocês means "you" (plural, like "you guys" or "y'all"). However, in Portuguese, vocês is grammatically treated like a third-person pronoun. This means it always uses the exact same verb endings as eles and elas (they). That is why it takes the form querem instead of a second-person ending.

Question 3

What does the little accent on "às" in "às quatro" mean?

Accepted Answer

The word às is a contraction. When telling time, Portuguese uses the preposition a (at) plus the feminine plural word for "the", which is as. This is because the hidden word "hours" (as horas) is feminine plural. When you combine a + as, they merge into às, and the grave accent simply shows that this merger happened. So às quatro literally means "at the four (hours)".

Question 4

Why does the word "começar" have a little hook under the 'c'?

Accepted Answer

That hook is called a cedilla (cedilha). In Portuguese, a regular 'c' before the vowels 'a', 'o', or 'u' makes a hard "k" sound. Adding the cedilla changes it to a soft "s" sound. Because of this, começar is pronounced with an "s" sound in the middle.

Vocês querem começar a reunião às quatro?

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