Breakdown of Eu visito as raparigas e ajudo-as.
eu
I
a rapariga
the girl
e
and
visitar
to visit
ajudar
to help
as
them (f)
Questions & Answers about Eu visito as raparigas e ajudo-as.
What does the -as in ajudo-as mean, and why is there a hyphen?
-as is a direct object pronoun meaning "them" (referring back to the feminine plural as raparigas). In European Portuguese, these object pronouns are normally attached to the end of the verb with a hyphen in simple affirmative sentences.
Could I just say e ajudo elas instead of e ajudo-as?
In European Portuguese, no. elas is a subject pronoun (meaning "they"), but here "them" is the object receiving the action. You must use the direct object pronoun -as. While you might hear ajudo elas in Brazilian Portuguese, in Portugal it is considered grammatically incorrect.
Why doesn't the second part of the sentence say e eu ajudo-as?
Portuguese often drops the subject pronoun (like eu) when it is already obvious. Because the sentence starts with Eu visito, and the verb ajudo ends in -o (which tells us it means "I help"), repeating eu after the e (and) is completely unnecessary.
Is raparigas the standard word for girls?
Yes, in European Portuguese, raparigas is the normal, polite word for girls or young women. However, it is very useful to know that in Brazilian Portuguese this word is an offensive slang term. Since you are learning European Portuguese, it is perfectly safe and correct to use here!
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