Breakdown of Na nossa cultura, explicam-se sempre as regras aos turistas.
em
in / on / at
sempre
always
nosso
our
a
to / at (direction)
explicar
to explain
se
himself / herself / themselves
o turista
the tourist
a cultura
the culture
a regra
the rule
Questions & Answers about Na nossa cultura, explicam-se sempre as regras aos turistas.
Why is the verb plural (explicam-se) instead of singular (explica-se)?
This sentence uses the passive se construction. Even though it can translate to "one explains the rules," in Portuguese, as regras (the rules) acts as the subject of the verb. Because as regras is plural, the verb must also be plural: explicam-se. If we were talking about just one rule, it would be singular: explica-se a regra.
Why does the -se come after the verb here?
In European Portuguese, pronouns naturally attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen, as in explicam-se. They only move before the verb if a "magnet" word—like a negative word (such as não) or certain question words—pulls them there. Since this sentence is affirmative and has no magnet words, the normal order applies.
What is Na a combination of at the beginning of the sentence?
Na is a mandatory contraction of the preposition em (in) and the feminine singular article a (the). In European Portuguese, possessive words like nossa (our) usually require a definite article right before them. So, "in our culture" becomes em + a nossa cultura, which combines into Na nossa cultura.
Why is it aos turistas and not just a turistas?
Aos is a contraction of the preposition a (to) and the masculine plural article os (the). When talking about explaining rules to "the tourists" as a defined group, Portuguese includes the definite article, resulting in the contraction aos.
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