Question 1

Why use deves instead of tens de for "must"?

Accepted Answer

Both express obligation, but they have slightly different flavors. Dever (here conjugated as deves) is often closer to "should" or "ought to"—it acts as a strong recommendation or duty. Ter de (like tens de) implies a stricter, unavoidable necessity ("have to"). In this context, both work well, but deves sounds more like strong advice.

Question 2

Why is estudar not conjugated?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, when two verbs are used together to express a single idea (like "must study"), only the first verb is conjugated. Since deves is already conjugated to match "you" (tu), the main verb estudar stays in its un-conjugated dictionary form (the infinitive).

Question 3

Why do we use para here instead of por?

Accepted Answer

You use para when expressing a purpose, goal, or destination. Since studying is done for the purpose of the exam, para is the correct choice. Por is generally used to talk about the cause of an action (meaning "because of"), duration of time, or movement through a place.

Question 4

Are words ending in -ção always feminine?

Accepted Answer

Yes, almost always! Words ending in -ção like revolução are feminine, which is why we use the feminine word for "the" (a revolução). This ending is the Portuguese equivalent of English words ending in "-tion". To make these words plural, the -ão ending usually changes to -ões (for example, as revoluções).

Deves estudar a revolução para o exame.

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