Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ele quase me reconhece sem os óculos. - He almost recognizes me without the glasses.

In European Portuguese, object pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb (like reconhece-me). However, certain words act like magnets and pull the pronoun in front of the verb. Adverbs like quase (almost) are one of these magnets! Because quase is here, it forces the pronoun before the verb, making it quase me reconhece.

If I removed the word quase, where would the pronoun go?

Without the magnet word quase, the pronoun would go back to its default position after the verb, attached with a hyphen. The sentence would become: Ele reconhece-me sem os óculos.

Is óculos always plural, like in English?

Yes! Just like 'glasses' in English, óculos is a plural noun. That is why it uses the plural definite article os (the).

Why do we need the word os here if we often just say 'without glasses' in English?

In Portuguese, definite articles like os (the) are used much more often than in English. It is standard to include them before personal items, accessories, and clothing, so 'without glasses' naturally translates to sem os óculos (without the glasses).