Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Cortem as maçãs para a sobremesa.

Cortem as maçãs para a sobremesa.

Cut the apples for the dessert.

Breakdown of Cortem as maçãs para a sobremesa.

Questions & Answers about Cortem as maçãs para a sobremesa.

Who is being addressed in this sentence?

The command cortem is directed at more than one person. It is the vocês (plural "you") form of the verb cortar (to cut).

Why does cortar end in -em here if it is an -ar verb?

To make formal and plural commands (for você and vocês), Portuguese swaps the typical vowels. For -ar verbs like cortar, the plural command ending becomes -em. If you were giving this instruction to just one person formally (você), it would be corte.

What do the special marks on maçãs do to the pronunciation?

The ç (cedilha) makes a soft "s" sound instead of a hard "k" sound. The ã (til) makes the vowel nasal, meaning you push some air through your nose when saying it. It ends up sounding a bit like "mah-SANS" (without fully pronouncing the "N").

Why do we use para for "for" in this sentence instead of por?

We use para because it shows the purpose or final destination of the apples—they are meant for the dessert. You will often use por to mean "through," "by," or when talking about an exchange, but para is the right word for goals, purposes, and destinations.