Questions & Answers about Elas viajam para o nordeste.
Why use para here instead of a for "to"?
In Portuguese, both para and a can mean "to" when traveling. We use para when referring to a final destination or a longer, more permanent stay. If they were just going briefly and coming right back, you would usually use a.
Why does viajam end in -am instead of -ão, since they sound so similar?
For verbs, the -am ending is used for the present and past tenses, like viajam (they travel) or viajaram (they traveled). The -ão ending is strictly used for the future tense, like viajarão (they will travel).
Do compass directions like nordeste always need the article o?
Yes, in Portuguese, points of the compass usually take the masculine definite article o. That is why we say para o nordeste instead of just para nordeste.
How do we know if Elas refers only to women?
Elas is the feminine word for "they", so it is used for a group made up entirely of females or feminine nouns. If there were even one male in the group, it would change to the masculine Eles.
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