Question 1

Why is the pronoun se used in this sentence to mean "each other"?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, reflexive pronouns aren't just for actions you do to yourself. Plural reflexive pronouns like se (for they/you all) and nos (for we) are also used for reciprocal actions—things people do to each other. Here, se turns the verbs into "greet each other" and "kiss each other".

Question 2

Why is se placed before the verb in se cumprimentam but attached to the end in Beijam-se?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb, as in Beijam-se. However, certain words act as magnets that pull the pronoun before the verb. In the first sentence, the word que is one of those magnets, forcing the pronoun to come before the verb (que vocês se cumprimentam). The second sentence doesn't have a magnet and starts directly with the verb, so the pronoun goes at the end.

Question 3

What does é que add to the question? Could I just ask "Como vocês se cumprimentam"?

Accepted Answer

You could ask Como se cumprimentam vocês?, but adding é que is extremely common in everyday Portuguese. It acts as a conversational question marker. Using é que makes the sentence sound more natural to a native ear and allows you to keep the subject (vocês) right in front of the verb.

Question 4

Since se is also used to mean "themselves", how do I know they aren't greeting and kissing themselves?

Accepted Answer

It is entirely based on context and common sense. While beijam-se could technically mean "they kiss themselves", logic tells us this is a reciprocal action. If a sentence is ever truly ambiguous, Portuguese speakers clarify it by adding the phrase uns aos outros or um ao outro (each other) at the end.

Como é que vocês se cumprimentam? Beijam-se?

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