Question 1

Why do we use pois não? at the end instead of não é??

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the confirmation tag you choose depends on whether the main sentence is positive or negative. Because the main statement here is negative (Ele não se lembra), you must use pois não? to ask "does he?". If it were a positive statement, like "He remembers me, doesn't he?", you would use não é?.

Question 2

Why is the pronoun se before the verb (não se lembra) instead of attached to the end?

Accepted Answer

Normally in European Portuguese, pronouns attach to the end of the verb. However, certain words act as "magnets" and pull the pronoun in front of the verb. Negative words like não are strong magnets. That is why it must be não se lembra instead of não lembra-se.

Question 3

Why is the word de needed before "me"?

Accepted Answer

The verb "to remember" in Portuguese is reflexive: lembrar-se. Whenever you mention what or who someone remembers, this verb requires the preposition de right after it. Think of it as saying "He doesn't remind himself of me."

Question 4

Why does the sentence use mim instead of the normal object pronoun me?

Accepted Answer

Because it comes right after a preposition. In Portuguese, whenever a pronoun follows a preposition (like de, para, or por), you have to use a special set of prepositional pronouns. mim is the prepositional form of "me".

Ele não se lembra de mim, pois não?

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