Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ninguém atendeu o telefone ontem. - Nobody answered the telephone yesterday.

Ninguém atendeu o telefone ontem.

Nobody answered the telephone yesterday.

Breakdown of Ninguém atendeu o telefone ontem.

Questions & Answers about Ninguém atendeu o telefone ontem.

Why does atendeu end in -eu?

Atendeu comes from the regular verb atender (to answer). In the simple past tense (pretérito perfeito), we conjugate it for Ninguém (Nobody), which takes the same third-person singular endings as ele or ela. For regular -er verbs in the past tense, you drop the -er and add -eu.

How would I change this to say "I answered the phone yesterday"?

You would need to change the verb to the first-person singular (eu) form. For regular -er verbs in the past tense, you drop the -er and add -i. So the sentence becomes: (Eu) atendi o telefone ontem.

Why is the verb atender used here instead of responder for "answered"?

In Portuguese, you use atender for picking up a phone call, opening the door for someone, or serving a customer. The verb responder means "to answer" in the sense of replying to a question or a message.

Do I need to use a double negative with Ninguém in this sentence?