Breakdown of Queremos sugerir-lhes um bom plano.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
bom
good
querer
to want
o plano
the plan
lhes
to them / to you (plural formal)
sugerir
to suggest
Questions & Answers about Queremos sugerir-lhes um bom plano.
Why do we use the pronoun -lhes here instead of -los?
Lhes is an indirect object pronoun, meaning it stands for "to them" or "for them". We use it because we are suggesting a plan to someone. If we used the direct object pronoun -los, the sentence would mean we are suggesting the people themselves!
Why is -lhes attached to sugerir instead of Queremos?
Could lhes also mean "to you" in this sentence?
Yes! The indirect object pronoun lhes can mean "to them" (masculine or feminine) or "to you" (plural, referring to vocês). Without more context, this sentence could also be translated as "We want to suggest a good plan to you all."
Why is the adjective before the noun (bom plano) instead of after it?
While most adjectives in Portuguese come after the noun they describe, a few short, common adjectives usually come before. Bom (good) and mau (bad) are classic examples of this. Saying um bom plano is the most common and natural way to phrase it, though um plano bom is also grammatically correct.
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