Learn Portuguese (Portugal): A vizinha não me incomoda.

A vizinha não me incomoda.

The neighbor (f) does not bother me.

Breakdown of A vizinha não me incomoda.

Questions & Answers about A vizinha não me incomoda.

Why does the pronoun me come before the verb here?

In European Portuguese, object pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb (like incomoda-me). However, negative words like não act as magnets, pulling the pronoun to come right before the verb. This front-placement is called proclisis.

Would it be wrong to say A vizinha não incomoda-me?

Yes, it would be grammatically incorrect. While people would still understand you, the rule that não pulls the pronoun to the front is very strict in European Portuguese.

How do I change this sentence if my neighbor is a man?

You just need to change the feminine article and noun to their masculine forms. The sentence becomes O vizinho não me incomoda.

I recognize incomoda from the English word incommode. Is it used the same way?

They share the same origin, but incomodar is much more common! While incommode sounds old-fashioned or overly formal in English, incomodar is the standard, everyday Portuguese verb meaning to bother, to annoy, or to inconvenience someone.