Preguntas Contestadas

Relative Clauses

Desculpe eu tenho perguntar esta pergunta em o ingles :( Eu nao sei como o explicar em o portugues.

In Portuguese, how do relative clauses work...are they the same as in English?

For example,

legiõs de trabalhadores QUE vivem em regimede semiescravidão....
(why not QUEM?)

Is QUE used more or do you use QUEM, QUE, ONDE, QUANDO...as well in the same way that we use, who, that/which, where and when in English?

Thanks for your help!

Detalles adicionales:

ADDITION: Thanks Mr Wright - I see that :) I have just found that QUE is used a lot more often (in written Portuguese)...I guess I need to carry on highlighting them and working it out...I don't want to be using them wrong when I speak...I'm trying to get out of the annoying beginner habit of translating as I speak but it's so hard! Thanks :)
Para aprender: Portugués
Idioma base: Inglés
96 vista(s) desde Oct 19, 2009
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Respuestas (3)

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Thiago Gualdi V.
Mejor Respuesta - Seleccionada por quien preguntó.

Well, actually, there's no need for magic.
You could say 'quem' as much as 'who', it wouldn't be wrong. There's just a minor (big) problem: it can easily sound far from classy.

But I'll tell you some tips.
It's less likely to be used:
1. w/ Plural nouns;
2. w/ Formal/cult vocabulary;
3. w/ Future subjunctive;
4. w/ Collective nouns.

"A menina quem te abraçou aquele dia (es)tá uma moça já." (OK)
"O/um trabalhador quem vive em regime de semi-escravidão é miserável demais" (A bit strange)
"Os/uns trabalhadores quem vivem em regime de semi-escravidão são miseráveis demais." (Strange)
"As/umas legiões de trabalhadores quem vivem em regime de semi-escravidão são miseráveis demais." (VERY strange)

Some constructions, however, like the following using the verb 'ser', may feature 'quem' even more oftenly than 'que'.
There, you can agree 'quem' with the subject or with the 3rd-person singular. Accordingly, it may have small semantic differences.

"(Fui/foi) eu quem abraçou-a, na verdade." (OK)
"(Fui/foi) eu quem abracei-a, na verdade." (OK)
"(Fui/foi) eu que abracei-a, na verdade." (OK)
"(Foste/foi) tu quem assistiu, lembras?" (OK)
"(Foste/foi) tu quem assististe, lembras?" (OK)
"(Foste/foi) tu que assististe, lembras?" (OK)

Changing the order, 'quem' certainly would be seen as a demonstrative pronoun, so everything changes.
"Quem abraçou-a fui/foi eu." (OK)
"Quem abracei-a fui/foi eu." (Wrong)
"Que abraçou-a fui/foi eu." (VERY strange for this context)

N.B. I used grammatically correct sentences for didatic purposes.

And you can use the other words you've listed mostly just like their English counterparts.
I expect this could help. =]

Thiago Gualdi V. Respondido 1 hace mes(es)
1
Mister Wright
Kayleigh,

I'm not a portuguese grammar wizzard, but like in english, I know you can also use "that" (que) with people, as well as with things or animals.

For example, in english either of these 2 clauses are correct:
"I have met the workers WHO live there".
"I have met the workers THAT live there".

It's similar in portuguese.

Mister Wright Respondido 1 hace mes(es) Nos Alerta

1
Thiago Gualdi V.
And some topics for you:

Desculpa/desculpe,[1] eu tenho que/de[2] perguntar em[3] Inglês. Eu não sei como (a/o)[4] explicar em[3] Português.
or
Desculpa/desculpe,[1] eu tenho que/de[2] fazer esta/essa[5] pergunta em[3] Inglês. Eu não sei como (a/o)[4] explicar em[3] Português.

1. Comma after the imperative clause is mandatory.

2. For the sense of obligation, you must use 'que' or 'de' after the verb 'ter'. 'De' is more cult and, therefore, in certain regions, specially if you are within a less cult social circle, it may seem as a more serious obligation. It's the best option for more formal writing, but it's not that cult.

3. Using the article before 'Inglês', 'Português', etc. would be exotic. The common is to not use. It's better to not use. But if you want to, it's mandatory to combine em + o (no).

4. You could simply supress the oblique pronoun. But, if you want to use, 'a' would refer to 'a pergunta', and 'o' would refer to 'o algo'.

5. In most regions, 'esta' and 'essa' have the same meaning, colloquially, being one the most used by far. In your sentence, if it were formal, 'esta' would refer to the 'pergunta' close to you and 'essa' to the one close to us. Or 'esta' could refer to the 'pergunta' formerly presented in the text and 'essa' to one still to be presented.

I hope you like the pinpoints. =]

Thiago Gualdi V. Respondido 1 hace mes(es) Nos Alerta

1
Kayleigh
Kayleigh

Tutor
De Reino Unido

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