Question 1

Why isn't there a word for "we" at the beginning of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the verb ending usually tells you who is doing the action. The -amos ending in pensamos already means "we think," so you don't need to add the pronoun nós (we) unless you want to emphasize it.

Question 2

Could pensamos also mean "we thought" in the past tense?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, no. The present tense is pensamos (no accent), while the past tense is pensámos (with an acute accent). The accent changes the pronunciation of the "a" and tells you it means "we thought" instead of "we think."

Question 3

In English, we often say "We think the test is easy" without the word "that". Can I drop que in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot drop que. While English allows you to leave out "that" (saying "We think the test is easy" instead of "We think that the test is easy"), Portuguese always requires the connecting word que in these sentences.

Question 4

Why do we use é (from ser) instead of está (from estar) for the test being easy?

Accepted Answer

We use é (from the verb ser) because the difficulty of a test is considered an inherent characteristic of that specific test. You use ser for fixed facts and qualities, whereas estar is used for temporary states or locations.

Pensamos que o teste é fácil.

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