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impersonal subject

[ɪmˈpɜːrsənəl ˈsʌbdʒɪkt]
nounpl: impersonal subjects
sujeito impessoal
1. A grammatical subject that does not refer to a specific person or entity, often used with impersonal verbs or constructions where the subject is indefinite or represents a general condition
In the sentence 'It is raining,' 'it' is an impersonal subject.
Na frase 'Está chovendo', 'está' é um sujeito impessoal.
2. A construction in which the subject is a dummy pronoun or an abstract notion rather than a concrete agent performing an action
In 'There are many reasons to celebrate,' 'there' functions as an impersonal subject.
Em 'Há muitas razões para celebrar', 'há' funciona como um sujeito impessoal.
Synonyms
dummy subjectempty subjectexpletive subjectformal subject
Antonyms
personal subjectdefinite subjectspecific subject

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
sujeito impessoal
Standard usage in grammar teaching
São Paulo
sujeito impessoal
Consistent with general Brazilian Portuguese
Portugal
sujeito impessoal
Standard terminology in European Portuguese grammar

Related Idioms & Phrases

impersonal verb construction
dummy subject
expletive construction
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