Question 1

Why is there no word for "I" at the beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, you do not always need to use subject words like eu (I). The verb form dou (give) is only ever used for "I", so the listener already knows who is doing the action. You can just start with the verb.

Question 2

What is the base verb for "dou"?

Accepted Answer

The base verb (the infinitive) is dar (to give). It is a common but irregular verb, which is why the "I" form, dou, looks a bit different from regular verbs.

Question 3

What does the backward accent on "à" mean?

Accepted Answer

That accent (called a grave accent) shows that two words have been blended together into a contraction. Here, the preposition a (to) combines with the feminine word for "the", which is also a. Instead of writing a a, they merge into à, meaning "to the".

Question 4

Why does it say "à minha mãe" (to the my mother) instead of just "to my mother"?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, it is a standard rule to put "the" (the definite article) before possessive words like minha (my). Because you are giving a gift to your mother, you need the preposition a (to) plus the article a (the) that belongs in front of minha. These two "a"s combine to make à.

Dou um presente à minha mãe.

Breakdown of Dou um presente à minha mãe.

Questions & Answers about Dou um presente à minha mãe.

Learn Dou um presente à minha mãe and more in Portuguese