Breakdown of O bibliotecário não quer dar a multa ao aluno.
não
not / no
o aluno
the student (m)
a
to / at (direction)
querer
to want
dar
to give
o bibliotecário
the librarian
a multa
the fine
Questions & Answers about O bibliotecário não quer dar a multa ao aluno.
How would I replace "a multa" and "ao aluno" with pronouns to say "give it to him"?
"The fine" (a multa) is the direct object, which would become the pronoun a (it). "To the student" (ao aluno) is the indirect object, which becomes lhe (to him). When we combine lhe + a, we get the contracted pronoun lha (it to him).
If I rewrite the sentence using the contracted pronoun lha, where does it go?
You have two choices because the sentence uses a conjugated verb + an infinitive (quer dar). You can attach it to the end of the infinitive: O bibliotecário não quer dar-lha. Alternatively, because the negative word não "pulls" pronouns toward it, you can place it before the first verb: O bibliotecário não lha quer dar.
Why does the sentence use ao before aluno?
The verb dar (to give) requires the preposition a (to) to show who is receiving the item. We combine the preposition a with the masculine word for "the" (o) from o aluno to make the contraction ao (to the).
Is multa related to the word muita (a lot)?
No, they just look similar! A multa is a noun meaning "the fine" or "the penalty" (like an overdue library fine or a traffic ticket). It is completely unrelated to muito or muita (much/many).
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