Breakdown of Não sabemos falar inglês bem.
não
not / no
inglês
English
bem
well / fine
falar
to speak
saber
to know
Questions & Answers about Não sabemos falar inglês bem.
Why does this use sabemos (we know) instead of podemos (we can) if the English translation says "we cannot"?
In Portuguese, when "can" or "cannot" refers to a learned skill or ability (like speaking a language), you use the verb saber (to know). So não sabemos falar literally means "we do not know how to speak", which is the natural way to express that you cannot speak a language. You would use não podemos for permission or physical possibility, like if you were told to be quiet.
Why is inglês written with a lowercase "i"?
Unlike in English, Portuguese does not capitalize the names of languages, nationalities, or months unless they are the very first word of a sentence.
Where is the word for "we" in this sentence?
Portuguese often drops subject pronouns (like nós for "we") because the verb ending already tells you who is doing the action. The verb form sabemos only ever goes with "we", making the extra word unnecessary.
Why is falar in its original dictionary form (the infinitive)?
When you have two verbs right next to each other working together, only the first verb changes to match the person doing the action. Here, the first verb changes to sabemos (we know), so the second verb falar (to speak) stays in its basic, unchanged form.
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