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Escondes os enfeites sem que ninguém suspeite.

Escondes os enfeites sem que ninguém suspeite.
You hide the decorations without anyone suspecting.
From Lesson 210:Time and exclusion clauses (antes que, sem que)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Escondes os enfeites sem que ninguém suspeite.

Why is the verb suspeite in the subjunctive instead of the normal present tense?
The phrase sem que (without) is a conjunction of exclusion. It introduces a hypothetical situation or something being avoided, which triggers the subjunctive mood. That is why we use suspeite rather than the indicative form suspeita.
Why does the sentence use ninguém (nobody) when the English translation says anyone?
In Portuguese, words like sem (without) establish a negative context. When expressing the idea of without anyone, Portuguese naturally pairs the negative sem with the negative pronoun ninguém (nobody). Saying sem que alguém suspeite would sound strange to a native speaker.
Could we use the infinitive here and say sem ninguém suspeitar instead?
Yes! When the two halves of the sentence have different subjects (you hide, nobody suspects), you have two choices. You can use the conjunction sem que followed by the subjunctive (sem que ninguém suspeite), or you can use the preposition sem followed by the personal infinitive (sem ninguém suspeitar). Both mean exactly the same thing.
Does ninguém always take the third-person singular verb form?
Yes. Even though ninguém can conceptually refer to many people, it is grammatically a singular pronoun. Therefore, the verb that follows it must be in the third-person singular (the ele/ela/você form), giving us suspeite.

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