Here is your EP rewrite, preserving structure, examples, and adapting fully to European Portuguese:
Questions about Subject Pronouns (Portuguese – European Portuguese)
Q: Why is it Eu como salada todos os dias and NOT Eu come salada todos os dias?
Remember, subject pronouns trigger agreement on the verb. The verb ending must agree with the subject pronoun. In the present tense, verbs typically end in -o to agree with eu. The ending -e is used for 3rd person singular.
Q: Why is it Ele é meu amigo and NOT El é meu amigo?
The 3rd person singular masculine subject pronoun ele must be written in full. The form el does not exist in Portuguese (this is Spanish).
Q: Why is it Tu vens amanhã and NOT Tú vens amanhã?
Unlike Spanish, Portuguese does not use an accent to distinguish tu (subject pronoun) from the possessive teu. The difference is lexical, not accentual:
Q: Why is it Tu vens amanhã and NOT Tu vem amanhã?
All verbs must agree with the subject. Since the subject is tu, the verb must take the -s ending in the present tense.
Q: Why is it Nós entendemos a informação and NOT Nós entendem a informação?
All verbs must agree with the subject. Since the subject is nós, the verb must end in -emos (for -er verbs) in the present tense.
Q: When do I use Vocês sabem a verdade versus Vós sabeis a verdade?
In modern European Portuguese, vocês is used in most contexts (both formal and informal) and takes 3rd person plural verb forms.
The pronoun vós exists but is rare and mainly used in formal, literary, or regional contexts.
Q: Why is it Elas podem cantar muito bem and NOT Elas pode cantar muito bem?
All verbs must agree with the subject. Since the subject is elas, the verb must end in -em (3rd person plural) in the present tense.
🔑 Key points
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Verb endings must agree with the subject pronoun
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Portuguese is a pro-drop language → pronouns are often omitted
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tu ≠ teu (lexical distinction, not accent)
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vocês is standard in modern EP; vós is rare
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Agreement errors are one of the most common learner mistakes
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