Quem lhe dá a morada?

Questions & Answers about Quem lhe dá a morada?

Why is the pronoun lhe placed before the verb instead of attached to the end?
Normally in European Portuguese, object pronouns attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen. However, certain words act like magnets and pull the pronoun in front of the verb. Question words like quem are one of these magnets. Because of quem, we must say Quem lhe dá instead of Quem dá-lhe.
Does lhe only mean 'to him'?
No! The indirect object pronoun lhe can mean 'to him', 'to her', or 'to you' (when speaking formally). We translate it as 'to him' here, but without more context, this sentence could just as easily mean 'Who gives her the address?' or 'Who gives you the address?'.
Why is the verb dá in the 'he/she' form if we don't know who we are talking about?
Just like in English, when we ask a question starting with quem, we treat the unknown subject as a singular 'he' or 'she' by default. Therefore, we use the third-person singular form of the verb dar (to give), which is dá.
Is there a difference between morada and endereço?
In Portugal, morada is the most common word for a physical address where someone lives. Endereço is also correct but is more frequently used for digital addresses, like an email address (endereço de email).

Learn Quem lhe dá a morada and more in Portuguese

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free