Regência: assistir a, preferir a, chegar a/em
Regência: assistir a, preferir a, chegar a/em means “Verb/noun government: the preposition a verb demands — and where the written norm and everyday BR speech diverge”. Many Portuguese verbs are inseparable from a specific preposition, and this regência is exactly where the cultured written norm parts ways with everyday Brazilian speech. Formation: assistir A (=ver) · preferir X A Y · chegar A (norma) / chegar EM (fala BR) · obedecer A · ir A / PARA
Verb/noun government: the preposition a verb demands — and where the written norm and everyday BR speech diverge
C1Formation
assistir A (=ver) · preferir X A Y · chegar A (norma) / chegar EM (fala BR) · obedecer A · ir A / PARA
Explanation
Many Portuguese verbs are inseparable from a specific preposition, and this regência is exactly where the cultured written norm parts ways with everyday Brazilian speech. Assistir meaning "to watch" demands a — assistir AO jogo, assistir A um filme — whereas assistir with no preposition means "to assist, help" (o médico assistiu o doente); yet in speech Brazilians overwhelmingly say assistir o jogo, dropping the a. Preferir governs a too: the norm is prefiro chá A café ("I prefer tea to coffee"), and the very common spoken prefiro chá DO QUE café is condemned by grammars. Chegar takes a in the norm (cheguei A casa), but here the street wins almost universally: virtually everyone says cheguei EM casa. Learn both registers and know which is which: write assistir ao, preferir a, chegar a; but recognize assistir o, preferir do que, chegar em as normal, unmarked speech.
Examples
Note
Regência nominal follows too: nouns keep their own preposition — obediência A, respeito A/POR, but note preferência POR (not a). Also norm-worthy: obedecer/desobedecer A, simpatizar COM, namorar alguém (transitive in the norm, though namorar COM is common), and ir A for a quick trip vs ir PARA for a lasting move.
FAQ
Regência: assistir a, preferir a, chegar a/em — what does it mean and how is it used?
Verb/noun government: the preposition a verb demands — and where the written norm and everyday BR speech diverge. Many Portuguese verbs are inseparable from a specific preposition, and this regência is exactly where the cultured written norm parts ways with everyday Brazilian speech. Assistir meaning "to watch" demands a — assistir AO jogo, assistir A um filme — whereas assistir with no preposition means "to assist, help" (o médico assistiu o doente); yet in speech Brazilians overwhelmingly say assistir o jogo, dropping the a. Preferir governs a too: the norm is prefiro chá A café ("I prefer tea to coffee"), and the very common spoken prefiro chá DO QUE café is condemned by grammars. Chegar takes a in the norm (cheguei A casa), but here the street wins almost universally: virtually everyone says cheguei EM casa. Learn both registers and know which is which: write assistir ao, preferir a, chegar a; but recognize assistir o, preferir do que, chegar em as normal, unmarked speech.
Regência: assistir a, preferir a, chegar a/em — how do you form it?
assistir A (=ver) · preferir X A Y · chegar A (norma) / chegar EM (fala BR) · obedecer A · ir A / PARA
Regência: assistir a, preferir a, chegar a/em — any usage notes?
Regência nominal follows too: nouns keep their own preposition — obediência A, respeito A/POR, but note preferência POR (not a). Also norm-worthy: obedecer/desobedecer A, simpatizar COM, namorar alguém (transitive in the norm, though namorar COM is common), and ir A for a quick trip vs ir PARA for a lasting move.