Log inSign up

Eles varrem o chão e lavam-no.

Eles varrem o chão e lavam-no.
They sweep the floor and wash it.
From Lesson 75:Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Eles varrem o chão e lavam-no.

Why is it lavam-no instead of just lavam-o?
When a verb ends in a nasal sound—like the -m in lavam—the direct object pronouns o, a, os, and as gain an n to become no, na, nos, and nas. Because lavam ends in a nasal -m, the pronoun o (meaning "it") transforms into -no to make the words flow together naturally.
What exactly does the -no stand for in this sentence?
It stands for o chão (the floor). Because chão is a masculine singular noun, we replace it with the masculine singular pronoun o ("it"). When that o attaches to the nasal ending of lavam, it becomes -no.
Why doesn't the first verb (varrem) have a pronoun attached?
The first verb, varrem (sweep), is followed directly by the noun it affects: o chão (the floor). We only use the pronoun -no on the second verb, lavam (wash), so we don't have to awkwardly repeat "the floor" a second time.
Does adding -no change where the spoken stress falls on lavam?
No, the stress stays exactly where it was. The spoken emphasis remains on the first syllable (LA-vam). The attached pronoun -no is unstressed.

Learn Eles varrem o chão e lavam-no 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
Start learning Portuguese →