Breakdown of Eu dou a prenda a vocês.
eu
I
vocês
you (pl)
a
to / at (direction)
dar
to give
a prenda
the gift (token or prize)
Questions & Answers about Eu dou a prenda a vocês.
Why do we say "a vocês" here instead of using the pronoun "vos"?
In Portuguese, you can say either Eu dou-vos a prenda or Eu dou a prenda a vocês. Both mean "I give the gift to you (plural)". Using the preposition a plus the stressed pronoun vocês is a great way to add emphasis, or simply an easier alternative if you find the rules for placing tiny object pronouns like vos a bit tricky to remember right now.
Why isn't there an accent mark on the "a" before "vocês"?
The a right before vocês is strictly the preposition meaning "to". You only see the grave accent (like in à) when the preposition a squishes together with the feminine word for "the" (which is also a). Since the pronoun vocês doesn't use a "the" in front of it, there is no merging, so it remains a plain, unaccented a.
I learned the word "presente" for gift. Is "prenda" exactly the same thing?
Yes! In Portugal, prenda and presente both mean "gift" or "present". They are completely interchangeable, but prenda is extremely common in everyday spoken Portuguese, especially when talking about birthday or Christmas gifts.
Is "dou" a regular verb?
No, dou is the eu (I) form of the verb dar (to give) in the present tense. Dar is highly irregular, so its forms just have to be memorized. You will see it a lot, so you will get used to it quickly!
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