Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Os colegas elogiam-se uns aos outros.

Os colegas elogiam-se uns aos outros.

The colleagues praise each other.

Breakdown of Os colegas elogiam-se uns aos outros.

himself / herself / themselves

o colega

the colleague

um ao outro

each other (m/mixed; f: uma à outra; pl: uns aos outros, umas às outras)

elogiar

to praise

Questions & Answers about Os colegas elogiam-se uns aos outros.

Doesn't elogiam-se already mean "they praise each other"? Why add uns aos outros?

Yes, elogiam-se on its own can mean "they praise each other", but it can also mean "they praise themselves". We add uns aos outros to emphasize that the action is reciprocal (each other) rather than reflexive (themselves). It removes any ambiguity.

Why use the plural uns aos outros instead of um ao outro here?

We use the plural uns aos outros because os colegas usually implies a group of three or more people. If there were exactly two colleagues praising each other, it would be much more common to use the singular um ao outro.

The verb elogiar takes a direct object without a preposition. So why is there an aos in uns aos outros?

The structure um ao outro (and its plural forms) acts as a fixed package when replacing a direct object. Even though you praise someone directly in Portuguese (elogiar alguém), the reciprocal phrase always inserts the preposition a (which combines with os to make aos) before the second half of the expression.

Why is the pronoun attached to the end as elogiam-se instead of coming before the verb?

In European Portuguese, pronouns naturally attach to the end of the verb in affirmative main clauses. Because this sentence doesn't have a "magnet" word (like a negative word, a question word, or certain adverbs) to pull the pronoun to the front, it stays at the end with a hyphen.