Question 1

Why is lhes placed before the verb instead of after it with a hyphen?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, object pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb (like mostramos-lhes). However, negative words like nunca (never) act like a magnet. They pull the pronoun to the space right before the verb. This is why it becomes nunca lhes mostramos.

Question 2

Does lhes mean "them" or "to them" in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Here it means "to them". The word lhes is an indirect object pronoun, meaning it represents who is receiving the thing being shown. You use lhes because you are showing the truth to them.

Question 3

Could mostramos also mean "we showed" in the past tense?

Accepted Answer

Yes! For regular -ar verbs like mostrar, the nós (we) form is exactly the same in both the present tense (mostramos = we show) and the simple past tense (mostramos = we showed). In a real conversation, the surrounding context will tell you which one is meant.

Question 4

Is it mandatory to use the word Nós at the beginning?

Accepted Answer

No, it is optional. Because the verb ending -mos already tells us the subject is "we", you could just say Nunca lhes mostramos a verdade. Adding Nós is just a way to put a little extra emphasis on who is doing the action.

Nós nunca lhes mostramos a verdade.

Breakdown of Nós nunca lhes mostramos a verdade.

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