Questions & Answers about Vocês compreendem o livro?
Why does "you understand" translate to compreendem instead of compreendes?
Because vocês means "you" in the plural (like "you guys" or "all of you"). In Portuguese, vocês always uses the exact same verb endings as "they" (the third-person plural). For a regular -er verb like compreender, we use the -em ending. Compreendes would be used for the singular, informal "you" (tu).
Where is the word for "Do" in this question?
Portuguese doesn't use helper verbs like "do" or "does" to ask questions. You simply use the exact same word order as a normal statement (Vocês compreendem o livro - "You understand the book") and add a question mark. When speaking, you just raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence to show it's a question.
How could I add muito (a lot) or pouco (a little) to this question?
To ask "Do you understand the book a lot?", you place the adverb right after the verb: Vocês compreendem muito o livro?. Because they are acting as adverbs describing the verb compreendem, words like muito and pouco are invariable here—meaning their endings never change to match masculine, feminine, or plural nouns.
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