Questions & Answers about Ambos a adoram.
Why is the pronoun a placed before the verb instead of after it?
In European Portuguese, pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb. However, certain words act like magnets and pull the pronoun in front of the verb. Ambos (both) is an indefinite pronoun, which belongs to this group of "magnet" words. That is why we say Ambos a adoram instead of Ambos adoram-na.
Why is the pronoun just a and not -na? Doesn't the verb end in an M?
Good catch! If the pronoun were attached to the end of adoram, it would indeed change to -na (adoram-na) because the verb ends in an m sound. But because ambos pulls the pronoun to the front, it stays in its basic form, a. The special -la and -na shape changes only happen when the pronoun is attached to the end of a verb.
Does ambos change if "both" refers to two women?
Could I add "Eles" and say "Eles ambos a adoram"?
You don't need to. Ambos functions perfectly well on its own as the subject of the sentence, just like "Both" does in English. Adding Eles here is unnecessary.
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