verb complement

[/vɜːrb ˈkɒmplɪmənt/]
nounpl: verb complements
complemento verbal
1. A word or phrase that completes the meaning of a verb, providing essential information about the action or state described by the verb
In the sentence 'She made him angry,' 'angry' is a verb complement that describes the result of the action.
Na frase 'Ela o deixou furioso', 'furioso' é um complemento verbal que descreve o resultado da ação.
2. In grammar, an element that is required by a verb to form a grammatically complete sentence
In 'The teacher considers the student intelligent,' 'intelligent' is a verb complement (object complement).
Em 'O professor considera o aluno inteligente', 'inteligente' é um complemento verbal (complemento de objeto).
3. A direct or indirect object, or an object complement that follows certain verbs
In 'Give me the book,' both 'me' and 'the book' are verb complements.
Em 'Dê-me o livro', tanto 'me' quanto 'o livro' são complementos verbais.
This is a technical linguistic and grammatical term used primarily in educational settings in both Brazil and the United States. It is fundamental to understanding sentence structure in English and Portuguese language instruction. Brazilian Portuguese grammar teaching emphasizes the role of 'complemento verbal' in achieving grammatical completeness, similar to how American English grammar instruction approaches verb complements.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
objectobject complementcomplementverbal complementargument

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
complemento verbal
Standard term used in Brazilian Portuguese grammar instruction
São Paulo
complemento do verbo
Alternative formulation, commonly used in educational contexts
Portugal
complemento verbal
Same as Brazilian Portuguese; standard European Portuguese grammar term
General American English
verb complement
Preferred term in American linguistics and grammar instruction

Related Words

subjectpredicatetransitive verbdirect objectindirect objectsubject complementgrammatical function

Related Idioms & Phrases

complete the action
fulfill the meaning of the verb
provide the object of the verb
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