Question 1

Why is the verb disseram spelled with a double s instead of a z like in the infinitive dizer?

Accepted Answer

The verb dizer (to say) is highly irregular in the simple past tense. Just like fazer and trazer, it gets a completely new stem in this tense. It changes from diz- to diss-, making the they form disseram. You simply have to memorize this root change.

Question 2

Can I say O que eles disseram instead of O que disseram eles?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can! Both are perfectly correct. In Portuguese questions, it is very common to swap the subject and the verb, putting the verb first as disseram eles. This inversion often sounds a bit more natural to native Portuguese speakers, but you will be understood perfectly either way.

Question 3

Why is it da instead of just de before reunião?

Accepted Answer

The phrase for after is depois de. Because we are talking about a specific meeting (reunião is a feminine noun), we need the feminine word for the, which is a. When the preposition de meets the article a, they combine into da.

Question 4

What does the O do in O que? Could I just start the sentence with Que?

Accepted Answer

When asking what as a stand-alone question word, Portuguese almost always uses o que. If you just use que, it usually needs to be followed directly by a noun, like Que reunião? (What meeting?). Since we are asking about an unknown action or thing they said, o que is the right phrase here.

O que disseram eles depois da reunião?

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