Breakdown of Estás a explicar-nos o segredo do sucesso.
do
of the / from the (do, da, dos, das)
estar
to be (temporary / location)
a
to / at (direction)
o segredo
the secret
explicar
to explain
nos
us
o sucesso
the success
Questions & Answers about Estás a explicar-nos o segredo do sucesso.
Why is "nos" attached to the end of "explicar" with a hyphen?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns like nos (to us) generally attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen. When a sentence uses the present continuous structure with the preposition a and an infinitive verb (like estás a explicar), the pronoun attaches to the infinitive. So it becomes explicar-nos.
Is "nos" a direct or indirect object pronoun here?
It is an indirect object pronoun. The verb explicar (to explain) takes a direct object for what is being explained (o segredo - the secret) and an indirect object for who it is receiving the explanation. So nos functions as the indirect object meaning "to us".
I see "a explicar". Is this how you say "explaining"?
Exactly! In European Portuguese, the present continuous tense (actions happening right now) is formed with the verb estar (here conjugated as estás) followed by the preposition a and the infinitive of the main verb (explicar). This structure is equivalent to "are explaining" in English.
Why is it "do sucesso" instead of just "de sucesso"?
In Portuguese, abstract concepts or general nouns like sucesso (success) usually require a definite article (o or a). Therefore, the preposition de (of) combines with the article o (the) to form the contraction do. Literally, it translates to "of the success".
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