A direct transitive verb is one whose complement (direct object in this case) is not preceded by a preposition. Here are some examples of direct transitive verbs:
fazer (to do)
comprar (to buy)
amar (to love)
abraçar (to hug)
querer (to want)
começar (to begin)
terminar (to finish)
olhar (to look)
To find out if a verb is direct transitive, we must ask a “o que” (what) or “quem” (who) question.
- Eu descobri um tesouro. (I found a treasure.) ⇒ O que eu descobri? Um tesouro. (What did I find? A treasure.)
- A gente leu o artigo. (We read the article.) ⇒ O que a gente leu? O artigo. (What did we read? The article.)
- Ela abraça sua mãe. (She hugs her mother.) ⇒ Quem ela abraça? Sua mãe. (Who does she hug? Her mother.)
Prepositional direct object
The prepositional direct object is a specific case in which the direct object is preceded by a preposition. They are usually used for emphasis and/or specificity. We can ask “o que” and “quem” questions to distinguish an indirect object from a prepositional direct object. These are some examples:
an indefinite pronoun:
- Isto beneficiou a todos. (This benefited everyone.)
to highlight the object:
- Ele adora a Deus. (He worships God.)
to refer to a part or portion of something:
- Nós comemos da torta. (We ate from the pie.)
when using the word “quem” as an object:
- O homem a quem me refiro está ali. (The man to whom I am referring is over there.)
