Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Eles vendem o carro.

Eles vendem o carro.

They sell the car.

Breakdown of Eles vendem o carro.

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Questions & Answers about Eles vendem o carro.

Why does the verb "vendem" end in "-em"?

Vendem comes from the regular verb vender (to sell). For the pronoun eles (they), regular verbs ending in "-er" drop the "-er" and add "-em". If it were just one person (ele or ela), it would be vende.

What happens if the group of people selling the car is all women?

If "they" refers to a group of only women, you would use Elas instead of Eles. You use Eles for a group of men, or a mixed group of men and women. The verb stays exactly the same: Elas vendem o carro.

Why do we need the word "o" before "carro"?

In Portuguese, all nouns have a gender. Carro is a masculine word, so it needs the masculine word for "the", which is o. If the word were feminine, like casa (house), you would use a, as in a casa.

How do I pronounce the double "rr" in "carro"?

In European Portuguese, a double "rr" is pronounced with a strong sound from the back of the throat, similar to a strong English "h" or the French "r". It is completely different from a single "r", which is a quick tap against the roof of the mouth.