Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Desculpe, podemos entrar agora?

Desculpe, podemos entrar agora?

Excuse me, can we enter now?

Breakdown of Desculpe, podemos entrar agora?

Questions & Answers about Desculpe, podemos entrar agora?

Why is the second verb entrar not conjugated?

When you use a modal verb like poder (can or may), the verb that follows it stays in its original dictionary form (the infinitive). Because podemos already shows that 'we' are doing the action, entrar (to enter) does not need to change.

Where is the word for 'we' in this sentence?

The pronoun nós (we) is left out because the verb form podemos already tells us exactly who is asking. In Portuguese, it is very common to drop the subject pronoun when the verb ending makes it clear.

I have seen desculpa used for 'excuse me'. Why is it desculpe here?

Desculpe is the formal way to say 'excuse me' or 'sorry'. You use this when speaking to someone you do not know well, someone older, or in a professional setting. Desculpa is the informal version used with friends or family.

Does podemos mean 'can' (ability) or 'may' (permission) here?

In Portuguese, the verb poder is used for both! In this sentence, asking podemos entrar translates best to asking for permission ('may we enter?'), but you use the exact same verb if you are talking about physical ability ('can we enter?').