Learn Portuguese (Portugal): As maçãs? Ele come-as.

As maçãs? Ele come-as.

The apples? He eats them.

Breakdown of As maçãs? Ele come-as.

Questions & Answers about As maçãs? Ele come-as.

Why is 'them' translated as -as here instead of -os?

Direct object pronouns must match the gender and number of the noun they replace. Since as maçãs (the apples) is feminine and plural, we use as. If he were eating os pêssegos (the peaches), you would use -os and say Ele come-os.

Why is the pronoun attached to the end of the verb with a hyphen in come-as?

In European Portuguese, direct object pronouns normally attach to the end of the verb in simple, positive sentences. Putting the pronoun before the verb is common in Brazil, but in Portugal, attaching it to the end is the standard rule unless a specific word pulls it to the front.

Sometimes 'them' is written as -las or -nas. Why is it just -as here?

The pronoun changes to -las if the verb ends in -r, -s, or -z, and to -nas if the verb ends in a nasal sound like -m or -ão. Because the verb come ends in a regular vowel, the pronoun stays in its basic form, -as.

What does the symbol over the second 'a' in maçãs do?

That symbol is called a tilde. It tells you to pronounce the vowel nasally, meaning you push the air through your nose while making the sound. It is a very common sound in Portuguese, especially for making words plural!